Employee benefits consultancy Howden Employee Benefits and Wellbeing has committed to developing better working practices around mental health and wellbeing by signing up to the Mindful Business Charter.
The organisation's commitment to the charter was confirmed on 29 January 2020, with the official signing due to take place on 14 May. It signifies Howden's pledge to promote an open culture around mental health.
The business has a number of procedures set to be implemented in the coming months around the following pillars: openness and respect; smart meetings and mailings; respecting rest periods; and mindful delegation.
These pillars will available to be added to the organisation's email footers to show an open and transparent commitment to mental wellbeing as part of day-to-day business, with the message: “At Howden we work flexibly; while it suits me to email now, I do not expect a response or action from you outside of your own working hours.”
The organisation will also be publishing a monthly case study which will be sent out by email to all staff, outlining how to adopt each of the four pillars.
A six monthly review will be done by Howden's global development head and managing director, looking at what the organisation has done, how behaviours have changed, and what it needs to do in the next one to six months.
Adam Riley, director of global client development and head of the legal sector practice at Howden Employee Benefits and Wellbeing, said: “We are delighted to be a signatory of the charter. 'People first' is our core business value. We have several initiatives in place already including an extensive wellbeing programme, [charity commitments] a Respect committee and our focus on corporate social responsibility, which gives every employee two volunteering days a year. Signing up to the charter also demonstrates our commitment to build a healthy, inclusive and supportive environment for our people.
"When we first looked at the charter, it became evident that the four pillars it is centred around can create a positive difference to the way our people work, our internal processes and how we work with clients. It also puts employee wellbeing and mental health to the top of the agenda, so it becomes a regular discussion point for our senior leaders.’’
