Long gone are the days where workplace wellbeing centred around the notion that shutting the office half an hour early on a Friday amounted to showing flexibility and care towards staff.
Now, the standards employers are held to when it comes to their knowledge and actions surrounding the health of their team are much higher – and the pandemic has heightened this progress, with 92% of companies increasing their emphasis on mental health as a result1.
Which is why skills such as Mental Health First Aid training are in such high demand – and the experts at Paycare Wellbeing are busier than ever
There are two equally important sides to this story: firstly, employees who’ve undertaken training around mental health and wellbeing – and have the confidence and knowledge to step into Wellbeing Champion roles and support their colleagues – are becoming increasingly attractive recruitment prospects.
For HR teams who are conscious of this increasing need for wellbeing-savvy workforces, the addition of a Mental Health First Aid course on a CV makes applicants stand out from those who have similar levels of work experience.
But of course, the company themselves must be able to display their own commitment to wellbeing in order to continue recruiting and retaining the very best candidates (and indeed, two thirds of employers consider recruitment and retention as ‘very important’ when deciding to invest in health and wellbeing initiatives2).
It’s no longer enough to simply state ‘we’re a great place to work’ – 2021’s employees are seeking solid Workplace Wellbeing policies, a better work/life balance than the business sector has traditionally offered in decades gone by, and benefits and perks which truly are beneficial! In fact, more than a third consider wellbeing benefits as a priority when deciding whether to accept a job offer3.
Whether it’s undertaking training and appointing Champions who take ownership of their colleagues’ wellbeing needs, offering remote or hybrid working as standard, or initiating a ban on ‘out of hours’ emails and communication about work matters, there are countless ways to invest in people’s health and wellbeing.
And with so many companies doing exactly that, the time to act is now – otherwise we’ll start to see that gap between the wellbeing conscious and the less health-savvy businesses widening, and those in the latter group struggling with their recruitment and retention even further as the very best talent goes in search of a more progressive employer.
Support at ISO Quality Services Ltd
The management team at ISO Quality Services is heavily invested in the health and wellbeing of the staff, and the company has had a Health Cash Plan in place for a number of years – in fact they had two different policies each covering different members of the team.
They switched all of the staff over to a Paycare Policy in early 2020, not only to streamline the process by offering all of their staff the same HCP, but also because they were impressed by the customer service and organisational ethos.
Debbie Farr, HR and Facilities Director, explains: “Because we are an SME ourselves, we felt Paycare had a similar ethos to us – we didn’t want to be members of a large faceless organisation.
“The whole onboarding process felt so easy, painless and very simple. I love the fun online portal which is easy to use, and how intuitive the system is for users.”
The ISO Quality Services team has various wellbeing perks on offer for the team, including a registered mental health nurse being on hand to support them. But Debbie said she felt a HCP was a ‘value-add’ with services such as optical benefits for those needing eye tests and the Employee Assistance Programme.
“The cost is really reasonable and ensures our staff are happy and healthy – I know they really appreciate having a HCP.
“If other companies are looking for a HCP, then Paycare is a really good option – the cost is really reasonable, their system is fun to use, and you get so much back: not just the main benefits you’d expect but also extras such as Paycare Perks, MyPocketGP, newsletters, and information about awareness days. If you’re looking to support the health and wellbeing of your staff and offer a great perk to them, then I don’t think you can go far wrong with Paycare.”
To find out more about Workplace Wellbeing, visit www.paycare.org/workplace-wellbeing/