Insurance provider Allianz Partners UK has hosted a wellbeing week for its 360 employees, to help promote positive mental and physical wellbeing.
The wellbeing week ran between 1 and 5 April 2019 to coincide with the end of a busy business period; the organisation wanted to encourage staff to relax and focus on their individual wellbeing.
Over the course of the week, employees were able to enjoy a range of beauty therapies and massages, undertake health assessments and have reflexology sessions. In addition, charity Croydon Vision delivered a talk on eye health and advice, health insurer SimplyHealth led a session on health and lifestyle plans, and retailer Costco attended to sign up new members, who received a £10 voucher as a joining gift.
Employees were also able to spend time with Gunner the German shepherd dog (pictured), who attended the wellbeing week with Therapy Dogs Nationwide.
Currently, Allianz Partners UK’s health and wellbeing initiatives form part of its annual people strategy, but the organisation is now working to create a standalone health and wellbeing approach.
This will include creating a network of mental health first aiders and supporting line managers to spot the signs of mental ill health, providing access to toolkits and self-directed learning resources centred around wellbeing, and implementing an employee assistance programme (EAP) as well as a suite of related benefits. Allianz Partners UK wants this approach to foster innovation, creativity, productivity and engagement.
Nikki Davies, learning and development manager at Allianz Partners UK, said: “Our wellbeing week enables us to give staff a mental boost and encourage them to take time out to look at their own health life choices.
“By encouraging healthy habits we are helping people lead an overall healthier lifestyle. From eyesight care and posture recommendations, to massage treatments and beauty therapy, the week of activities underlined the importance of embracing health and wellbeing options to enhance happiness. Gunner certainly put a smile on people’s faces.
“As a result, the week brought a new energy to the [organisation], with people more open to sharing their own experiences, which in turn has helped to bring teams even closer together. By cultivating a happy and healthy [organisational] culture, we’re investing in the effectiveness of our teams, which ultimately helps the people and the business thrive.”