×
First-time login tip: If you're a REBA Member, you'll need to reset your password the first time you login.
07 Jun 2017
by Pippa Savory

Pippa Savory: ‎How Fourfront Group tackles wellbeing

At Fourfront Group we take the health and wellbeing of our staff very seriously, but we also like to have some fun while we do this!

 

940F-1496663369_Walkinginforest.jpg

 

We recognise that healthy employees often means happier employees; this contributes to our amazing culture, and of course our bottom line.

Wellbeing programme themes

As wellness is not a one trick pony, we have launched an ongoing wellbeing programme. Wellbeing to us is more than just fresh fruit and private healthcare (although we have that too). It’s taking a holistic approach and incorporating physical, mental and social aspects in to our everyday lives. We have several initiatives that cover these areas; the Group fully supports every person getting involved.

Each month there is a theme to our wellbeing programme, this ranges from mental health awareness to stress, sleep, financial wellbeing and the benefits of being outdoors. Each theme is supported by weekly blogs, mini events, speakers, and our company benefits package such as our Employee Assistance Programme and 50% off gym membership.

Mental health

As part of the Wellbeing launch last month, Clive Lucking our CEO addressed the entire company and spoke about the importance of wellbeing in the workplace, he also spoke about our plan to work with Mates in Mind – a charity set up to improve and promote positive mental health in construction; Fourfront is working hard to remove the taboo of mental health.

In addition, every employee received a gift in a branded Fourfront Wellbeing bag, with a skipping rope, massage voucher, protein bars, vitamins, stress ball, eye mask inside and of course lots of information on how to manage wellbeing.

To further support mental health, we have changed our appraisal process to include a discussion around wellbeing. In fact, 25% of the discussion is now based on how that individual is feeling inside and outside of work and what the business can do to support them.

To encourage managers in having these discussions, we have included a half-day workshop in our management development programme to teach them how to have, what can often be an awkward conversation. I think it’s fair to say that asking about someone’s wellbeing is relatively new to the world of work so we need to make sure our managers are comfortable in doing this.

As part of our Fourfront Academy Training Programme we are introducing Mindful Performance this year. This is a six-week course which teaches the benefits of practising mindfulness and how this can be used in a proactive manner with a view to reducing stress.

Physical health

To support our employee’s physical health we have regular walking groups as well as the reduced gym membership. We also try and tie in our regular charitable events; next month we will be walking from our office in London Bridge to our office in Surrey, no less than 40 miles! We are also regular participants at property triathlons, marathons and cycling events.

For those who are not quite so active, we have break out areas in the offices to make sure people can get away from their work for a while and recharge. We do have sit/stand desks and these are now part of our everyday working.

This article was written by Pippa Savory, group HR director at Fourfront Group

Related topics