Since the start of the Covid-19 crisis in March 2020, Bulb, which is London based and has around 700 employees, has tried to put wellbeing at the forefront of its business strategy.
Tom Fraine, chief people officer at the renewable energy firm, says: “We recognise that this is a time of real uncertainty and pressure. Supporting our line managers and doing everything we can to help them has been a central focus.”
Line managers are central to Bulb’s mission to help people reduce their energy bills and carbon emissions, says Fraine. “They give team members the support and coaching they need to serve our 1.7 million members,” he adds.
The energy supplier launched Unmind, a digital mental health platform, in March to help people measure and improve their wellbeing. “In the first month, our team used over 1,000 minutes of wellbeing tools and we’re doing more to get others involved,” Fraine says.
It also ran several wellbeing workshops on topics such as managing anxiety and learning to switch off and it is trialling sessions with a clinical psychologist and providing additional access to therapy through Spill.
“We also have an anonymous feedback platform which allows staff to ask questions and get regular feedback on a range of topics, including wellbeing,” Fraine says.
As the pandemic looks set to continue, Bulb has been keeping up communications among staff, and ensures that everyone speaks to at least one member of their team once a day. “One of our core company values is that ‘we take care.’ Our line managers have been fundamental to this and will continue to be going forward,” Fraine says.