Our top tips to get workplace wellness right

Employee wellness is something that Sellick Partnership has been working on for some time and is very important to us as a business. We want to create an environment where people enjoy coming to work and have all the support they need to do well. Find out what Sellick Partnership’s Head of Talent Acquisition & Wellbeing Simon Briffa thinks about employee wellness, and some of the things we have introduced over the years.

Understanding employee wellness

Before you can implement an employee wellness programme, first, organisations need to understand what employee wellness actually means. By definition, employee wellness initiatives are a form of health benefit that employers provide – in one form or another. Basically, employee wellness plans are designed to help keep employees healthy, happy and motivated in work. Without them businesses can lose out on talent, something that we cannot afford to do.

That is why employee wellness should be something that every business should be considering, especially now as workplace pressures rise. It is no longer enough to simply offer a great salary and good benefits. Companies need to show that they care for the welfare of their employees and implement strategies to support them both professionally and personally.

Here are some of the things we have successfully introduced at Sellick Partnership.

Flexible working

Flexible working is one of the first things businesses should consider when trying to implement an employee wellness programme. Expecting employees to work a 9am-5pm working day, five days a week, with very little breaks and respite is becoming a very archaic view. Nowadays, most candidates are looking for a role that offers some degree of flexibility.

For example, we allow our employees to take a more tailored approach to their working day depending on their home commitments. One way we do this is by allowing employees to adapt their working hours to suit needs at home when needed – giving our staff greater control, whilst creating a sense of mutual trust. We also have a number of staff that work four days a week to assist with commitments at home. It is important however to ensure that any flexible working policies you introduce fit around business needs. For example, offering the option to work from home may not be advisable if your business relies on staff working collaboratively or as part of a larger team.

Social events

Everyone likes to relax, unwind and take the opportunity to socialise away from the office, which is why we organise a variety of social events throughout the year, including three big companywide events where we bring the whole business together. These are a great way of giving our employees some time to let their hair down (usually on company time) and allows us to show our appreciation for all the hard work they do. We also hold several team socials throughout the year, ranging from bake sales to other celebratory events and teambuilding activities. Events like this don’t have to break the bank either. Think about what sort of things you can do on your budget or speak to your staff and find out what activities they would like to do.

Healthcare benefits and added support

It is important to do all you can to ensure your employees have a healthy mind and body, especially if you are asking them to work long hours in a particularly stressful role. To help with this we have enrolled each of our people in Medicash.

Medicash is a healthcare provider which operates as a not-for-profit company offering corporate healthcare and benefits. The plan lets employees claim money back on everyday healthcare costs including optical, dental, physiotherapy, hypnotherapy and chiropody. Something like this is a great way to give your staff access to additional support, and access to services they may not have considered otherwise.

Encourage people to get away from their desks

We also try to encourage our people to move away from their desks throughout the day where possible. To try and ensure this happens we have a number of breakout areas that we keep unoccupied during lunch times for employees to take some time away. It is important to ensure there is a space where employees can relax without the worries of work. We have also recently introduced walking meetings to encourage more people to get outside when not at their desks which is another great way of getting people moving whilst keeping productivity high.

Wellness challenges

Wellness challenges are also a great way of getting the whole business involved in something that is good for their health. We have previously hosted pedometer challenges and various charitable outdoor activities to try and get our people active. Not only do these spark people’s competitive nature, but they are also great at building team morale and giving people the push needed to do something that is good for their health and wellbeing.

If you would like to find out more about the wellness initiatives at Sellick Partnership, you can check out the Careers section of our website.