Workplace Wellbeing

It is recognised that businesses that create a work environment where employee’s physical and mental wellbeing is considered have lower absenteeism, fewer injuries and experience higher productivity and customer satisfaction. A workplace culture of support is also good for attracting and retaining employees. The panellists discussed the practical ways you can support your staff.

Panellists:

• Julie Cressey, General Manager NZ, Benestar Benestar provides employee assistance programmes when staff need help with physical, mental, social and financial aspects of their life.  Julie gave examples of what Benestar’s clients are currently doing to ensure their staff’s mental health, including a great initiative that Xero is piloting with their customer base of SME companies. 
• Jacki Rowles Jacki has a background in HR, Counselling and Coaching. She is NZ’s first and only certified teacher in a programme that was invented at Google called Search Inside Yourself, that enhances employee wellbeing. Jacki shared insights from this programme and talked about why these kinds of personal/professional workplace programmes are being implemented in some of the greatest companies in the world.
• Sarah Mannion, Global Support Centre Manager/Customer Experience, Fisher & Paykel Appliances Sarah talked about the wellbeing initiatives she has introduced for her team of 200, and the lessons she has learned over a decade implementing such programmes as a way of increasing employee engagement in different organisations. She gave practical advice on how to access programmes for staff when you have little or no budget.

 
Facilitator: James Smith, Xennial Marketing Ltd

Photos by Grant Southam