EXCLUSIVE: Visualsoft has seen an improvement in the health and wellbeing of its 200 employees in the past 12 months after introducing a number of new initiatives.
The web development organisation launched an all new benefits package in 2014 with the aim of boosting wellbeing and motivation, as well as increasing levels of happiness while maintaining productivity.
It introduced unlimited paid for holidays, one of the first employers in the UK to do so, as well as unlimited flexible working, free breakfast and free fruit, free protein and dietary supplements, subsidised gym memberships, staff relaxation areas and subsidised weekly sporting activities.
The unlimited holidays and flexitime policy gives Visualsoft employees the opportunity to choose the hours and days that best suit each member of staff.
As a result, weekly staff feedback scores on health and wellbeing, motivation and the organisation’s working culture have improved by 30%.
Emma Hart, HR manager at Visualsoft, said: “Everything we have done is very motivating and has worked really well, with employees feeling a lot happier because they have that work-life balance. We wanted to take away the pressure from our people.
“The benefits rely on creating a culture of trust across the whole organisation, and as long as people are achieving their monthly targets they can take as much time off as they feel they need and choose which hours they wish to work.
“It is all about giving employees that ability to control their work-life balance, coupled with engagement to eat more healthily and keep active, which has been a success for the organisation and our people.”
Sickness absence has also decreased as a result of employees working from home.
Productivity has improved. The average response time for tickets, which are used to report any bugs or problems through an online system, has dropped from three hours to just 32 minutes in three months.
Visualsoft’s other benefits include a bikes-for-work scheme, staff discounts and a pension scheme.
Hart said: “The feedback has shown an improvement with staff morale, happiness and productivity all moving in the right direction.
“Our health and wellbeing [scheme] encompasses everything we do and it is everything our employees have put forward to say that they want to make the organisation a better place to work.
“We are also moving buildings and we will look to build an in-house gym and introduce a chef to cook healthy meals. This is part of phase two of the benefits package.
“While it has only been in place for a short time, our business has rapidly grown and the number of applicants we have received has also drastically increased because of the culture we have installed.”
