Health insurance firm, Axa PPP Healthcare introduced a wellbeing strategy in 2008. To determine the structure of the strategy, it assembled a steering group comprising clinicians, HR and employee representatives. Various data sources were also analysed, including occupational health, claims from the private medical insurance scheme, and management information from the sickness absence reporting system.
Ian Clabby, employee engagement manager at Axa PPP Healthcare, says: “This helped us identify areas we could target and, by having a wide range of employees involved, including some that were market-facing and could bring in external observations, there was a healthy level of enquiry.”
Central to the strategy is an educational thread, providing information to staff on a different theme each month. Some of the themes covered so far include bowel cancer and how to stop smoking.
Awareness events are also run throughout the year. These have included a Hawaii Day, held in January to highlight the winter blues; and an annual Wellbeing Wednesday, when local alternative health practitioners are invited into the office.
Although it has been well received by employees, Axa’s wellbeing strategy is still evolving. As well as tracking results, such as absence data, the steering group meets each month to assess the strategy and discuss new initiatives and ideas.
“To have just a set strategy is probably counterproductive,” says Clabby. “We are always looking at ways to make our wellbeing initiatives relevant and engaging to employees.”
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