Fenero's motivations, benefits & learnings with workplace wellbeing
Friday, 4 March 2016
Motivations, benefits & learnings that resulted in Fenero establishing a very successful workplace wellbeing initiative.
Corporate wellbeing programmes are often considered the preserve of large or highly profitable companies. However small companies and those on a low budget can pack a serious punch with a strong wellbeing leader, a bit of creativity and a good company culture.
The starting point is not how much money you have. It is your culture and values. At Fenero we have incredibly high participation rates in all our wellness activities, due to the strong cultural foundations underpinning them. Working in an environment of genuine support, openness, respect and appreciation are absolute cornerstones of a wellbeing culture and don’t cost anything.
At Fenero, we started with an open and supportive culture and free or low cost initiatives which we have built upon as the business has grown. For example, we now have 6 monthly employee health checks, free access to counselling services, weekly mindfulness sessions, fresh fruit always available and we extend free wellbeing supports to our contractor clients.
Developing wellbeing programmes should in any case be considered an investment rather than a cost. On a personal level, I’m a huge advocate of personal wellbeing and supporting people to become the best versions of themselves. This was my initial motivation for driving a strong wellness culture in Fenero - and it continues to be the main one. However as a business owner and qualified accountant, I do have an interest in making sure the numbers stack up too! The financial case for investing in workplace wellbeing is very clear.
A focus on employee wellbeing can impact directly on your bottom line in many ways. Some which we have particularly felt the benefit of in Fenero are:
· High employee engagement,
· Productivity gains,
· High employee retention,
· More innovative thinking,
· Low sickness days,
all of which have helped support our strong year on year business growth.
We have a huge culture of transparency and wellness in Fenero and have seen great benefits both for our business and our people. Your people are the greatest asset in your company. Their personal success has a direct impact on the success of your business. Invest in their wellness.
Sinead Doherty
CEO, Fenero