Repairs and maintenance company, Unitas Stoke-on-Trent, have delivered a total of 12,260 hours of events, activities, demonstrations, and training to support the wellbeing of their employees over the last 12 months.
Unitas Director, Wayne Booth, said: “As a company, we have always championed wellbeing support and health initiatives as part of our culture.”
“The last 12 months has had a unique impact on the mental health of our staff and it was important that we continue to support them day-to-day.”
The Stoke-on-Trent-based company currently has a dedicated Wellbeing Team, 16 Mental Health First Aiders and 3 Domestic Abuse Support Champions, as well as access to free counselling.
Extra support was provided during the coronavirus pandemic to support staff working from home, including remote working tools, a wellbeing ‘survival’ card and a flexible working policy.
Maintenance Assistant and Mental Health First Aider for Unitas, Chris Fox, said: “I feel it’s so important, especially during lockdown, that people are aware of the help available.”
“I spoke to someone who was really struggling last year, and it’s possible that without the Mental Health First Aiders in place they wouldn’t have had anyone to talk to.”
According to the most recent wellbeing survey, 78% of Unitas employees said that they felt they had achieved a good work-life balance, and 84% of staff would recommend Unitas as a good employer.
Since introducing the wellbeing measures, sickness absence has dropped, with rates consistently below the benchmark of 4.5%
Over the next year, Unitas have committed more investment in staff training and the introduction of a menopause policy and support champions to further support their staff.
