ENGAGEMENT AND WELLBEING STRATEGIES FOR REMOTE AND HYBRID WORKING


Jo Rigby, HR director at Beever and Struthers


Working from home has been very different. We ran an online survey with staff to see how people were coping. We looked at the results and took appropriate action. You know your staff, but you


don’t always know their home environment. We looked at flexible hours and ran quite a few coffee ‘catch-ups’ online.


Shelley Perry, clinical director of Breathe Therapies


Relationships are key. The culture is so important, and you don’t get culture in an organisation unless you look at the individuals within that organisation and what their needs are. Health and wellbeing


starts with looking after yourself and each other. It is about relationships and communication.


Dave Scholes, director at Mindsight


You benefit from having a conversation with mates over a beer or a brew, telling them ‘I don’t know what you are going through but I’m here for you’. It’s talking to the person who sits next to you, about the


team they support, what they do at the weekend. You can weave the wellbeing conversation in, alongside sport and family.


Paul Nugent, chief executive officer, Santé Group


Previously businesses may have had the approach, ‘Here’s our employee benefits, get on with it’. That can’t happen anymore. Use the platforms that are there to communicate with your employees. Find out


what they are doing and what they are worried about. Get under the bonnet and define your wellbeing strategy from this.


Prof Sue Smith, director of the centre for SME development at The University of Central Lancashire


We have been carrying out research into the impact of Covid on SMEs. Businesses need to


understand flexibility, support skills development and training for all, create a platform to understand employees’ voices, foster social relationships between co-workers, be aware of digital presenteeism and support physical and mental health and wellbeing.


The online event was the latest in our Lancashire Conferences series – featuring interviews and interactive panel discussions which get to the heart of the issues that really matter to businesses in the county.


It looked to raise awareness of the importance of health and wellbeing in the workplace and how to manage it and involved both physical and mental health conversations.


Two separate panel discussion examined engagement and wellbeing strategies for remote and hybrid working and looked at ‘return to work’ and ‘at work’ strategies.


Panel members were drawn from a wide variety of sectors and backgrounds and included health experts, business leaders and academics.


Delegates also heard from Sally Leech, director of Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace and Ross McWilliam, owner of Mindset Pro.


RETURNING TO WORK AND AT WORK STRATEGIES


Heather Aust, partner at CG Professional


As restrictions are easing and people are getting back to work, it is about thinking how that affects people, what the principal issues are and how you are transitioning that. For those working


from home, it is about making sure their workplaces are risk assessed. It is not a matter of out of sight, out of mind.


Tommy McIlravey, chief executive Lancashire Mind


We need to create an environment where people can be honest about how they are feeling and share those concerns. Can I speak up if I see something that is wrong? Do I know what my job


is, and do I know what success looks like? Do I know when work stops? That becomes more important when working from home.


Claire Rhodes, manager of The Landmark


It’s been a challenging year for everybody. We had to make the building comfortable and safe, ticking the health and safety box, but also delivering a working space for people that is not


over clinical. It has been an ongoing process. Even before Covid we had been trying to get people to understand hybrid working.


Tom Wilcox, marketing and business development executive at Physiofusion


We have been looking at what people suffering the effects of ‘long Covid’ need to help them. Up to one million people are believed to have long Covid.


When it comes to wellbeing, if you can find out what it is that people specifically need you will stand yourself in good stead going forward.


Gabriela Hammond, head of human resources at VEKA UK


It is about flexibility. We have had to really understand there isn’t a one-size fits all approach. It has been a huge learning curve.


The simple process of asking what we can do and what people want has shown them that we do want to support and work in partnership with them, both for the business and to help them.


Sally said there was a “huge amount to do” when it came to educating people about the menopause and understanding the impact it can have on women’s lives.


We have got a big job to do going forward in Lancashire


There was also an impact on businesses, with talented women at the peak of their powers often feeling that they had to leave an organisation because of the effects of the menopause.


She urged businesses to create a culture IN ASSOCIATION WITH:


where it was okay to talk about the menopause and to become “menopause friendly”.


And she pointed out that organisations had a legal responsibility to support and look after the wellbeing of their employees at work.


Ross McWilliam is an experienced keynote speaker and trainer who has worked in more than 1,500 schools, colleges, universities and businesses across three countries developing both future professionals, and upskilling senior executives.


He told delegates that communication and collaboration was important when it came to wellbeing. Ross said: “I believe people want to help other people.”


He added: “Find out what works for you and try and enjoy the journey as well as the destination. Know who you are, your values and beliefs and stick with them.”


LANCASHIREBUSINESSVIEW.CO.UK


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HEALTH AND WELLBEING


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