Insights

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 Internal Talent and Wellness Manager 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 Work for Us section of our website.          

This Valentine’s day why not make a commitment to fall back in love with your work and dedicate some attention to your career. There are days in all our careers when we don't leap out of bed filled with joy about the forthcoming day at work. In fact, sometimes the idea of the coming week can mean that Sunday evening makes you anxious about what the next five days may hold. If you want to get more out of your career, it might be time to take stock and consider what the problem is in your relationship with work.  After all, the only thing you will spend more time doing in your life is sleeping, and we all know how much we love that! Here are the top reasons most people fall out of love with work, and what you need to do to build a better relationship with your career. Are you bored? This is one of the most common reasons that people feel unsatisfied at work, and often it can creep up on you. Perhaps you have been in the business for a long time without any major changes to your remit or day-to-day activities. This is the perfect time to decide what you really want from your career. Why not think about your long-term goals and establish what skills gaps you might have in your experience that are hindering your chance to progress. For example, do you need to work on your communication skills or develop project management techniques? Or perhaps you need to take a more commercial approach? Either way, identify key areas you would like to develop, research internal and external training opportunities and book a meeting with your boss. A manager is never unhappy to hear that a member of staff wants to take on more responsibility and learn more. Are you struggling with your workload? Too much work can be highly stressful and can make you feel like it will never end. But rest assured you are not alone, and it can be managed. The key is to start prioritising and ask for help. Make a complete list of all the projects you are currently working on and a list of all deliverables in each project, including any deadlines involved. Then book a meeting with your line manager and ask to go through your current workload and to seek advice on prioritising. It is important to be clear, confident and professional whilst discussing this. State that you are concerned about ensuring quality and that your key focus is to ensure that whilst 'balls aren't dropped' the reputation of the team is not damaged. Talk about opportunities for delegation or collaboration with your team and make sure to book in follow up meetings and keep your manager appraised of any issues – but make sure it is before any deadlines are missed! Do you love your job, but are struggling with the commute? Is your job perfect, but the location not so good? If you have reached a point where a good book isn't enough to make the journey worthwhile, why not think about how you might be able to start working differently. The options are plentiful, and businesses are more open than ever to flexible working arrangements that will fit around your home life. Legally all employees can now request to work flexibly, and this could include: Working from home one or two days a week Reducing your hours – if it is financially viable Compressed working – working more hours for four days so you could take each Friday off Working from another location – perhaps there is another office or affiliate business where you could look at being based in. There is no harm in speaking frankly to your employer about this problem, they would rather look at new ways of working than lose a great member of staff which will cost far more in the long term. Have you fallen out of love with a colleague? Challenging relationships can be tough at the best of times, but this is particularly true at work. When you have reached a point where you or work is impacted then realistically there are two options. You can confront it head on or ignore it, and things that are left will never get sorted. Ask your colleague for a virtual coffee and diplomatically talk through your concerns. Never make accusations or refer to specific incidents, tactfully talk about how you have been feeling and suggest ways that this could be improved. That might be to have more regular meetings to ensure communication channels are open, or perhaps it is ensuring there is a process to make sure that work is not duplicated, and you can work well together. If you have tried this and can't seem to find a solution, then the second option is to speak to your manager. Be honest and keep it professional – you want your manager's support, not to get their back up. It might be that you could look at moving to another project, or working from a different desk, or perhaps your manager has seen similar issues with other staff and can advise ways for you to manage this difficult situation in the future. When all else fails… Perhaps you have reached a point where you are not able to find a solution or achieve any more in your current role, and you have exhausted all possibilities. In which case, it might be time for you to think about moving on. Some people change jobs immediately when they are unable to see a future there, whereas others dislike change. If you are the latter then there can be lots of reasons for you to stay, particularly security or relationships with colleagues, but if you aren't waking up with glee every morning, it might be time to admit that it's over. Remember, if this is what you are thinking it is not you, it's your job! With love in the air, now is the time to take that next step, if you're ready to make a move, check out the latest opportunities from Sellick Partnership here.