Even though the pandemic’s restrictions on our lives are now easing, the efforts to adjust to the ‘new normal’ that we have all had to make over the last year – from home schooling to insolation from loved ones – have taken their toll on everyone’s physical and mental wellbeing.
Many of our colleagues are now coping with the anxieties surrounding the return to work after being on furlough, and some may be desperate to get back to the office to end the isolation they have felt during remote working.
While we always try to take care of our colleagues’ mental and emotional health in as many ways as we can, this year we introduced several new schemes in a bid to help everyone be happier and healthier, despite the difficulties we are all facing.
In January many of us across the group took part in our WellMe Walk challenge to get active and boost our wellbeing through the winter.
Not only did it encourage everyone to get out and get moving, it also fostered increased communication and connection between colleagues, as we formed virtual teams and competed to see who could walk the furthest.
Collectively, we walked 100,000,000 steps – enough to get us twice round the world – and also helped others, as we made a donation to the charity Mind, which was voted for by most participating walkers.
To raise everyone’s spirits, we also introduced the Smile Draw. Each month for a whole year ten lucky Churchill colleagues are being randomly selected to each to receive a £100 gift voucher, redeemable at multiple stores – a monthy give-away worth £1,000 in total. And we hope the winners will use the money to enjoy treating themselves, or their families, to something they wouldn’t usually buy.
In a bid to provide praise where it is due, and let colleagues know how much we appreciate their hard work, we also put in place a new Shining Stars recognition scheme. It aims to reward everyone who demonstrates exceptional behaviour that supports our core values: ‘Always do right, always seek better and always put people first’ and show them how much we truly value all that they do.
All this builds on our WellMe initiative, which is embedded in our culture. It aims to encourage staff to make small positive changes in their day-to-day lives to promote positive mindsets, personal development and physical and mental health awareness.
The programme consists of five pillars:
- Be Active: Do what you can, enjoy what you do, move your mood
- Keep Learning: Embrace new experiences, see opportunities
- Give: Your time, your words, your presence
- Connect: Talk, listen, be there, feel connected
- Take Notice: Remember the simple things that give you joy.
In addition to this, we also have an employee assistance programme which offers 24/7 telephone counselling, so colleagues can talk in confidence on a wide range of issues which may be troubling them.
The House of Wellbeing platform, which is free to all colleagues, also offers more than 100 hypnotherapy audios to help with both personal and professional issues and our SkillGate training programme includes a range of courses to help manage mental health, so everyone can take advantage of the support best suited to their particular needs.
As World Wellbeing Week draws to a close, our objective is now, and always has been, to help boost the wellbeing of all our colleagues at all times, not just for one week and enable them to live happier and healthier lives.