All articles by Sam Barrett – Page 7
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Case StudiesDotty about Paper reinforces employer brand through social media
Having a strong employer brand is important to Bridgnorth-based stationery organisation Dotty About Paper, which was originally called Card Gallery when it was launched in 2004.Lisa Forde, owner of Dotty About Paper, explains: “We were struggling to reach out to potential employees and customers, so we decided to rebrand in ...
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AnalysisDigital stressors: Supporting wellbeing in a switched-on world
Need to know:Technology facilitates a more flexible work culture but, if not managed properly, an always-on environment can lead to physical and mental health issues.Drastic techniques, such as blanket bans and even legislation, have grown in popularity, but senior managers have a key role to play in setting everyday expectations.Technology ...
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Case StudiesAGY47 encourages employees to switch off outside work
Over 17 years, digital marketing agency AGY47 (formerly Silverbean) has progressed dramatically, from being based out of its founder’s bedroom to employing 56 people in offices in Newcastle, Teeside, and, as of this year, Sydney.Damian Hall, chief operating officer, is keen to ensure that staff are supported as much as ...
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AnalysisHow mental health approaches can be targeted to workforce demographics
Need to know:Various factors, such as age, gender and job role, can influence the amount and type of mental wellbeing support needed by employees. Some influences, such as the impact of home working, might be less obvious.Offering a wide variety of support systems can help reach more employees, but will ...
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Case StudiesLothian's occupational health service provides valuable employee data
Lothian is the UK’s largest municipal bus firm, carrying around 120 million customers per year. It is one of Edinburgh's biggest employers, with more than 2,500 staff, around 1,800 of whom are drivers.In 2018, Lothian started working with Health Shield’s occupational health service. From the outset, the organisation saw the ...
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AnalysisHow to measure the value of occupational health initiatives
Need to know:In addition to reducing absence and meeting legal requirements, occupational health interventions can benefit many things, including turnover, productivity and employers’ liability insurance.Using data from a wide range of sources, organisations can map positive changes that show the value of their occupational health programme.Hidden factors should also be ...
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AnalysisHealthy habits: Reaping the benefits of health-related resolutions
Need to know:There are many options employers can offer to help support healthy resolutions, including gym memberships, health cash plans and free fruit.Buy-in from senior management can create a supportive culture and ensure the success of a programme.Support for employees’ health improvement in the new year should be part of ...
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AnalysisHow can employers benchmark their total reward strategy?
Need to know:Benchmarking beyond quantitative pay figures can prove difficult, but employers need to consider a wide range of elements when measuring the success of their total reward package.External comparisons are important, but canvassing internal employee opinion is also integral when deciding on changes and shaping strategy.When updating a total ...
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Case StudiesZurich uses benchmarking as basis for new reward proposition
Insurance organisation Zurich employs around 5,000 people in the UK. Towards the end of 2016, it decided the time had come to refresh its reward package.Jo Burton, UK employee benefits manager at Zurich, explains: “We’d offered flexible benefits for many years, but had never really changed what we offered, so ...
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Case StudiesAscential uses incentive-based app to underpin global wellbeing strategy
Ascential is a global business-to-business information organisation. It employs approximately 1,600 staff, 1,000 of which are based in the UK, and introduced a global health and wellbeing strategy, Essential Wellbeing, in March 2018.Essential Wellbeing centres around four key pillars: wealth, health, kind and mind. Each quarter, the organisation takes one ...
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AnalysisShould organisations incentivise health improvement among employees?
Need to know:Growing numbers of employees expect a reward or incentive for participating in workplace health programmes.Many off-the-shelf initiatives enable employees to collect points for completing healthy actions; these can then be redeemed for various rewards and prizes.Employers should carefully consider the type of challenge and reward being used to ...
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AnalysisThe benefits and practicalities of an integrated healthcare strategy
Need to know:An integrated rather than siloed approach to healthcare, incorporating mental and physical health, can boost the benefits to engagement and productivity.Employers can reduce the range of treatments needed to support employees, while reaping the rewards of more effective products.External advisers can help to mitigate the logistical issues by ...
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Case StudiesHäfele UK uses integrated programme to provide for a diverse workforce
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 ...
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Case StudiesAI helps Causeway employees make informed financial decisions
Causeway Technologies develops software and services for the construction industry, employing around 220 people across four different office locations in the UK and overseas.Employee wellbeing is a key priority for the organisation, and it views employees’ financial health as one of the six key areas of its wellbeing strategy.Fiona Buchanan, ...
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AnalysisHow artificial intelligence is influencing the world of employee benefits
Need to know:Artificial intelligence (AI) is already transforming the speed with which financial advice is delivered in the workplace, tailoring messages to employees, as well as helping them to make healthier lifestyle choices.In the near future, AI is expected to continue personalising information to increase employee engagement with benefits, leading ...
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Case StudiesGina Conway Salons and Spas supports employee with cancer
Gina Conway owns three salons with spas across London, employing around 100 people. While her business is all about helping customers look and feel great, she also takes her employees’ health and wellbeing very seriously. Conway is also a partner in AXA PPP healthcare’s SME Work and Wellbeing programme, an ...
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AnalysisHow can organisations support staff with long-term health conditions?
Need to know:Rather than lose talent, employers should reap the business benefits of catering to employees with long-term health conditions.Organisations should take a universal approach to discussing working structures, rather than singling out those with conditions or disabilities.Flexibility and tailoring are important because each employee will have a different experience ...
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AnalysisThe changing role of reward in managing the talent pipeline
Need to know: High employment levels are forcing organisations to rethink their employee value propositions, progression pipelines and retention strategies.Demonstrating a long-term commitment, nurturing talent and even providing secondment opportunities can help boost staff loyalty.Flexible working options can be key to appealing to a wide range of employees, not just ...
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Case StudiesCall of the Wild takes a flexible approach to the talent pipeline
Call of the Wild is a corporate training company based in the Brecon Beacons. Since it was established in 1998, it has grown significantly and now employs more than 30 people running a range of courses from leadership development and team building to first aid.“Managing the talent pipeline is an ...
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AnalysisWhat does a modern group risk strategy look like?
Group risk benefits, such as life insurance and income protection, have been around for close to 200 years. And, while their objective has not changed significantly, employers are now using them in a much more strategic way.Rather than provide group risk products simply as a perk or to match competitors, ...