Aiimi takes a holistic approach to financial wellbeing support for staff, aiming to understand what financial security means to each person and addressing this through its benefits provision.
The UK-based technology services firm has expert consultants across data, digital and artificiall intelligence (AI). It has 160 employees.
It has an overarching wellbeing programme, called Aiimi Cares, which offers a range of support. This includes a free mortgage advice service, provided by Charles Cameron, allowing staff to ask questions and understand what their eligibility is for mortgages.
As well as offering a 9% employer pension contribution once probation is passed, the employer invites its pension provider Aviva into the office every one to two years to enable employees to book one-to-one sessions. These also cover current financial stability and future financial wellbeing planning. It also works with Williams Hospice, which is local to its headquarters in Milton Keynes, which offers a free will-writing service in exchange for a donation. It promotes this on its benefits portal as a reminder for staff to look after their financial wellbeing in that respect.
Aiimi additionally moved employee assistance programme (EAP) providers to Help at Hand by Unum, because it included financial and legal advice, and uncapped support for those in financial difficulty, explains Charlotte Richmond, people operations manager.
“It’s about starting a conversation with an external person who can bring that conversation to us internally and exploring available options we might be able to support with,” she says. ”It’s trying to have a well-rounded view of what people might need and what options might be welcome. We also offer income protection and life insurance, and we cover the full cost of this from day one of employment.”
Aiimi focuses on understanding what financial struggles its employees may be facing, and considers what support it already has in place, as well as what it could proactively introduce. It carries out an annual review of its benefits and how many employees accessed certain areas within the EAP to ensure support is fit for purpose.
It also runs lunch-and-learn sessions around all of its benefits, where providers spend time with staff who are interested in specific benefits. The organisation found this created a place for staff to share their own stories and experiences on what they found helpful.
“It’s powerful when someone says, ’I was where you are, this is what I did and this is what helped me’,” says Richmond. ”We’ve tried to foster an open and honest environment, where people do not feel embarrassed to open up, and where stigma hopefully isn’t a blocker to somebody getting the help that they need. The way we demonstrate effectiveness is by people being open enough to share their own experiences.”
She adds that if people are concerned about something financial, it will impact their mental wellbeing and they may not deliver their best work.
“What we try to do is look at the individual in a holistic overview and ask where the pain point is and how can we help with that as an organisation.”
