Samantha Bravo is a HR and Healthy & Safety Manager at Wellworking. She has over 18-years' experience at various organisations looking after the wellbeing of staff.
Since the pandemic, there has been an unprecedented demand for flexible working as employees manage their work/life balance and try to improve their mental health.
A survey of businesses by CBI Economics, that was commissioned by health insurers Vitality, found 70% of firms are giving their staff more flexibility to work in a way that supports their health and wellbeing. It comes as Office for National Statistics research shows the number of adults suffering from depression has now doubled since 2019 and affects 1 in 5 people.
This rise in hybrid working and other flexible practices over the last few years not only helps staff wellbeing and balancing the demands of home and work, but also attracts and retains sought after talent. According to CBI Economics, 60% of businesses have therefore increased funding for employee health and wellbeing.
Here at Wellworking, we provide support for our staff in many ways. Our hybrid working policy allows employees to work from home and from the office.
We have invested in the look and feel of our sites to ensure a creative workspace so our staff have a comfortable and engaging place to work when coming into the office. Many of the projects we have been involved in over the last 12 months have been to create similar welcoming and relaxing working environments for our clients.
However, it is not just the workplace environment that we have been developing to support our staff. We have two dedicated advanced mental health first aiders who are on hand to assist our staff where and when they need it.
We have also introduced an Employee Assistance Programme with Health Assured who are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide professional counselling to any member of staff that needs it.
As we move into 2023, flexibility, development and maintaining a productive workforce will continue to be a priority for our staff who work tirelessly to bring the best products and services to our clients.
In my 18 years in the HR and safety profession, I have never seen the mental health of employees being as important as it is now – and it is worth it. According to the CBI Front of Mind report in 2021, every £1 that is invested in mental health by employers raises productivity by 12% and firms actually get £5 back.
Companies that provide a flexible approach to work and support the health of their staff will retain their talent, attract the best people and increase productivity, ensuring the future success of their businesses.
Samantha Bravo - HR and Health & Safety Manager, Wellworking