People&Co works to promote open dialogue among male employees and build an inclusive, supportive culture across the organisation to support the health of all of its staff.
The organisation comprises creative live experience agency People, custom-built semi-permanent venue business Spaces+Places, large-scale ceremonies and events firm Spectaculars, and independent film studio Film x People. It employs more than 40 permanent employees, between 200 and 300 freelancers for four to five months during busy periods, and permanent freelancers on one to two-year contracts.
Following the panic and anxiety caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, People&Co opened up conversations about men’s health in the workplace by developing a formal support system. It introduced a check-in to increase communication and reduce risk, and regular scheduled, and un-scheduled, check-ins are now an established component of its working culture.
The questions included in the check-ins ask how employees are feeling, if there is anything distracting them, and what their intentions are regarding meetings, projects or timeframes they are currently dealing with.
Rory O’Donovan, partner at People&Co, explains that the organisation has always taken its responsibility to its employees seriously, regardless of gender, and that the check-ins have been invaluable in facilitating more effective, consistent and meaningful communication. “It requires full engagement and complete focus from all involved, so it’s crucial the team fully understands its purpose and that, as founders, we lead by example by showing vulnerability,” he says. “We know men in particular can still find it hard to talk about personal issues, but since its introduction we all talk more openly and share our experiences. Gender-specific challenges are discussed and conversations on topics rarely spoken about by men are a regular occurrence.”
In terms of engaging employees with men’s health support, the organisation acknowledges that the topic is impacted by a variety of elements. As such, it created a package that provides supports with living costs and allows staff to take time away from work in order to reduce any pressures for them, as well as creating and maintaining a positive culture.
This includes regular golf, football and padel sessions outside of the office, unlimited holiday to ensure all full-time members of staff have the time they need to recuperate, and team building holidays, which have included trips to Sri Lanka and Kenya, which show staff how valued they are while also increasing trust and communication.
It also offers enhanced parental leave, including up to six months of fully-paid paternity leave, a profit-share bonus where 5% of annual profits are split equally among full-time staff, and mental health first aid training for full-time employees, so they can identify, understand and help someone who may be experiencing a mental health issue.
“We found that through inclusive sports people can connect on a personal level, and not only are there obvious health benefits, but it’s important to have social time that isn’t based around drinking,” says O’Donovan. “We also ran two four-day week trials totalling about nine months, without dropping salaries or increasing work hours. The positive impact on productivity has prompted us to work to uphold this on a permanent basis.”
In addition, People&Co tries not to encourage ego-led, overly macho or excessively competitive behaviour among male employees and has created a space where they feel safe, comfortable connected and able to be themselves. Aware of how pressure can take its toll, it makes it a priority to support, nurture and develop every member of the team.
“The events industry can be gruelling and it’s important our people are given the time, space and resources needed to recover. Offering security and stability is of prime importance. Fostering a more supportive and productive workplace culture has had a profound impact, both on our employees and the business,” O’Donovan adds.
