The Covid-19 pandemic dramatically shifted the world of work for individuals, corporations, and SME’s both around the world, and here in Ireland.
In many ways, it moved the subject of employee wellbeing and mental health to the fore, ensuring the resources required to make positive changes for employees were quickly put in place.
For many Irish companies, 2022 was the year to fully embrace Ibec’s KeepWell Mark Programme, evaluate their systems, and implement a customised roadmap detailing how to create, or enhance, their own internal wellbeing strategy.
This year, the KeepWell Mark Awards celebrate all the companies who are excelling in their commitment to workplace wellbeing.
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Here, our six category winners share their insights and learnings on improving workplace wellbeing.
Wellbeing Win Number One:
Everyone, in every department, needs to be onboard.
Large Company of the Year - BioMarin
‘Line managers, senior leadership, new employees – we all share, and belong to, a culture which places wellbeing at the core’
BioMarin already has a company culture that places wellbeing at the core. During Covid, extra measures were put in place to support individual’s wellbeing. Initiatives such as the Safe Trace System were introduced, and the company’s Mental Health First Aiders network proactively focused on employee health. Employee mentoring and buddy programmes helped new colleagues feel a sense of belonging, under difficult and unusual circumstances.
Communication throughout the company remains key with regular engagement from senior management. Employee feedback is also sought out, encouraged, and acted upon, ensuring BioMarin’s Wellbeing Strategy delivers best practice across the breadth of the KeepWell Mark’s pillars.
Wellbeing Win Number Two:
You must listen, you must learn, and then you must act.
SME Company of the Year – The Convention Centre Dublin
‘While businesses across the world had to pause or shut down during the pandemic, we saw this as an opportunity to open up to one another’
The Convention Centre Dublin concentrates its Wellbeing Strategy firmly around open communication. Employee feedback is highly valued, and employees are encouraged to ask questions. Sitting at the heart of the strategy is The Listening Group. This space allows for ongoing, authentic conversations between all levels. A wide range of issues and suggestions are aired here. Most importantly, employees hear and see that their feedback has been listened to, and acted upon, through practical outcomes and benefits.
The results of this strong employee engagement programme have seen the sense of employee belonging and trust flourish, increased positive communications on all levels, and led to employee-driven operational efficiencies.
Wellbeing Win Number Three:
You must let people know you are genuinely invested in, and investing in, their wellbeing.
Best in Class Leadership – DeCare
‘Our KeepWell focus groups have helped us to see what really matters, and the things that help to make a meaningful difference in the quality of life of the DeCare team’
Introducing remote and hybrid working was a challenge that DeCare turned into an opportunity, by listening to their employees. The genuine leadership shown in the midst of the pandemic demonstrated an authentic dedication to employee wellbeing. This generated trust and appreciation amongst employees during what, for most companies, proved a fraught time.
Employees displayed gratitude at being able to balance work and family responsibilities and having the trust of management to do so. DeCare continuously invests in its employees’ wellbeing and their potential. Cross-training is an integral part of workforce development. The skills enhancement and learning opportunities mean that employees feel valued, and also supports internal promotion. Meaningful changes were made across a range of existing systems, and new ways of working were introduced. This significant investment in time and commitment, from leadership, ensured that the changes were properly supported, resourced, and embedded into the culture of DeCare.
Wellbeing Win Number Four:
Mental health awareness can really open the path to employee wellbeing.
Best in Class Mental Health – RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences
‘Many of our line managers are now trained in Mental Health Awareness. It’s so important to support the individuals who are key influencers on the culture of our teams’
Positive communications, climate, connections, and meaning are the tenets that inform the Organisational Change and Wellbeing Strategy, at RSCI. This is supported by a fundamental belief in training internal leaders in Mental Health Awareness to improve outcomes in employee mental health. RCSI is strongly committed to creating a psychologically safe working environment for staff. One of the ways they do this is to integrate expertise from their Centre for Positive Psychology and Health to embed a collaborative approach which benefits employees. The transition towards a positive culture can be witnessed across the organisation. Relationships between managers and employees, L&D activities and annual appraisals have all been upgraded. One example of this has been to remove the rating score and replace it with the positive questions: “When were you at your best this year?” and “What conditions helped you flourish?”
Mental Health Awareness training and Team Wellbeing content is included in every RCSI leadership development programme. The training and support provided to managers and leaders ensures an environment which enables employees to thrive.
Wellbeing Win Number Five:
Providing for physical wellness ignites connection, and a sense of togetherness.
Best in Class Physical Activity – Boston Scientific, Galway
‘Health checks, onsite gyms, walk-and-talk meetings: this is wellbeing in action’
Wellbeing encompasses many pillars. Physical health is one of the key areas in which companies can improve their employees’ overall wellbeing.
As part of their KeepWell Mark accreditation, Boston Scientific committed to supporting the physical health and wellness of their employees. In their Galway campus, employees now have 24/7 access to a state-of-the-art functional fitness gym. To make sure everyone feels welcome; a physiotherapist is on-hand to show that moving well and building a working body are accessible to all. Coached fitness classes lead to collective participation and social connection. Walking meetings contribute to this culture of wellbeing with Sli na Slainte routes in place across the site. Physical wellness and stretching breaks also create a greater sense of togetherness. Providing access to health surveillance checks such as: blood pressure, height, BMI, and lung function tests; give employees an opportunity to implement lifestyle changes with positive physical and mental health related outcomes.
Wellbeing Win Number Six:
Wellbeing begins at breakfast.
Best in Class Nutrition – Exyte Northern Europe
‘Now we are serving up wellbeing in the canteen’
We’ve all heard the saying; ‘we are what we eat.’ At Exyte, Northern Europe employees are actively transforming their thinking and behaviour around nutrition. Traditionally, this high-tech design and engineering sector has been synonymous with reaching for ‘The Breakfast Roll’ of a morning. As it oversees construction on its Leixlip project site, Exyte has engineered a positive change in eating habits. Displaying simple but effective posters in the canteens helps to encourage healthy choices. These posters compare calorie intake between breakfast rolls and a bowl of porridge and highlight how many steps it takes to burn off the unhealthy option. The company continuously collaborates with its canteen partner to develop, monitor, and amend its healthy eating plans. Employee comment cards, reviews, and suggestions boost participation and engagement in the healthier food choice campaigns.
To learn more about benchmarking your corporate wellbeing strategy with The KeepWell Mark, visit www.thekeepwellmark.ie and take our mini assessment.