Japanese technology firm Ricoh uses its sickness absence data to identify what mental wellbeing benefits its UK workforce needs, ensuring it focuses on early preventative support.
Ricoh operates in more than 200 countries, and has 80,000 employees in total. It has a three-pillar approach to wellbeing for its UK staff: thriving financially, thriving physically and thriving emotionally. Its mental health benefits include an employee assistance programme, which is a confidential 24-hour line for employees to share personal concerns and includes six free counselling sessions with a trained counsellor, and an online Samaritans e-learning module about spotting signs, having open conversations, and knowing where to signpost.
It also offers occupational health support to ensure anyone returning from sick leave who needs reasonable adjustments in the workplace can access these, mental health first aiders to offer crisis support, and wellbeing champions trained in supporting mental wellbeing, who signpost to tools and resources through its SharePoint site and host regular drop-ins.
Catherine Morrell, inclusion and wellbeing manager, adds: “Employees can [also] access a free 30-minute consultation with a financial advisor, as well as private medical insurance and our single health cash plan, which can support with funding across different areas that impact mental health.”
Ricoh UK monitors its benefits take up every quarter and has regular inclusion and engagement surveys, where it takes feedback and tries to implement new support where possible or amend existing initiatives or strategies. It also uses its data to see why people have been off sick. If stress, anxiety and depression are among the highest reasons for absence, it can make sure relevant support is in place.
It utilises its affinity groups and wellbeing champions to gain feedback and understand what is happening across the workforce and what they want, while also using its executive sponsors, who are board members, to drive each focus. Doing this has removed the stigma around mental health and opened up conversations about the topic, by allowing staff to see that a member of senior leadership is comfortable talking about mental health.
The firm also reviews its mental health strategy by listening to employees and only offering initiatives that are relevant to them, adds Morrell.
“We use data and listen to affinity groups, while linking back to our business strategy,” she explains. ”Every time this changes, we’re also looking at how wellbeing can impact that and, staying relevant to how our business is running, what are our key focus areas and how we can help support through that.”
Due to the variety of locations its employees work in, such as the office, in print facilities, and customer post rooms, it can be difficult for Ricoh to reach everyone. It uses different channels to communicate its mental health benefits, such as e-mail, weekly newsletters, and its SharePoint site that acts as a wellbeing hub. It also uses its Viva Engage network page and screens in offices, as well as its affinity groups and wellbeing champions.
Ricoh also ensures employees have instant access to all mental health support via a mobile phone, and has run webinars, lunch-and-learn sessions, and hosted guest speakers.
“We make sure webinars are available on the SharePoint site so people can watch back any recordings,” says Morrell. “We also focus on upskilling managers, so they know where the relevant information is. So even if we can’t necessarily reach all employees, at least managers know where to signpost.”
