Häfele UK has employees in diverse roles and locations, which naturally adds to the already steep challenge in providing for their health and wellbeing needs. Within its 420-strong workforce, 200 employees are based in warehouses, 160 are office-based, and the remainder have field sales roles around the country.
Nevertheless, the organisation is keen to look after its employees’ health and wellbeing, says Lyndsey Horsfall, HR business partner at Häfele UK. “There are so many challenges facing employees today. By helping our workforce to be as resilient as possible, they’ll be able to cope with these challenges more effectively.”
To this end, Häfele UK introduced Westfield Health’s healthcare cash plan and hospital treatment insurance in 2015, arranging a bespoke scheme to suit its employees.
“It’s really easy to use,” Horsfall explains. “Employees can claim for treatments they might need, such as physiotherapy or osteopathy, as well as more everyday health needs, such as dental check-ups and eye tests. We’ve also arranged for a local sports therapist to come in and give lunchtime massages, which employees can claim for through the cash plan.”
A key feature of the plan is that it covers all aspects of employee health and wellbeing. In addition to catering for physical health issues, it also includes an employee assistance programme (EAP). “Employees can call this for help and advice on anything from mental health concerns through to debt and legal problems,” says Horsfall.
The success of the scheme has enabled the organisation to develop its strategy further, creating a health calendar to promote different topics, such as diabetes and sun safety.
Häfele UK has also introduced a resilience programme for line managers. Also run by Westfield, this focuses on key areas that influence health, such as stress, sleep, alcohol and emotional wellbeing. So far, 64% of attendees have reported a positive effect on their health and wellbeing, and 60% have implemented the tips and tools they learned. Horsfall intends to roll out a similar programme across the workforce next year.