Video: Employee Wellness Conference: How size isn't everything when it comes to wellbeing

Watch the presentation in full.

“When you are working with a limited budget it’s tempting to say we need to do one thing and it’s got to be really big but that’s not always going to work very well,” said Dymock.

Instead she advised a broader approach. “Don’t think big – think small, think tailored, ongoing and inclusive,” she said.

Budget cuts forced on her business meant the organisatiosn had to look again at what it was doing with wellbeing, she said. “To get the most out of the budget we wanted to look at why we were investing in wellbeing and deliver more for less,” she said.

A staff survey and focus groups helped map the usefulness of current schemes and helped redefine the offering into three intertwining streams – physical health and fitness, social wellness and mental health.

New initiatives included healthier options in vending machines and a healthy recipe sharing forum as well as ad hoc social trips, paid volunteering days and promoting a work life balance. “We had 20% cut from our wellbeing budget but are still able to run a meaningful events programme with a range of events throughout the year. When it comes to wellbeing on a budget it’s not about spending less it’s about ensuring you deliver more,” said Dymock.

Meesha Birch, employer and intermediary marketing manager at Simplyhealth, also reminded delegates to ensure their strategies work for them. “Any health and wellbeing strategy must be in line with your company vision and objectives,” she said.

This video was filmed at the REBA Employee Wellness Conference 2016.