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How we’ve overhauled our approach to well-being after a tough year
At the start of the pandemic, we had to furlough around 400 staff. As we emerge from lockdown, staff are seeking a different way of working. HR teams have a crucial role to play – here’s how we have developed our approach since 2020, writes Marjorie James
As the director of people at YMCA St Paul’s Group, I can tell you that the COVID-19 pandemic stretched all the skills we use in delivering our people strategies to the limit. Change was moving at a rapid pace and everything had to be done while we were developing our knowledge.
Having been told we had to close our offices unless the work could not be done from home, the role of the people team became very important.
Our aim was to ensure that staff had advice on how to work from home safely, how to maintain their well-being while managing the threat of the unknown, and cope with the challenges of childcare as schools and nurseries closed.
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We had to grasp the complexities of the Job Retention Scheme. This was a new government initiative introduced to enable us to furlough staff whose jobs were at risk due to sudden closure or reduction in services.
The value of online webinars from the many major law firms and HR consultancies was a godsend, as they quickly translated the government jargon into practice.
We had to furlough around 400 staff in April last year. Where staff continued to work on site, we had to ensure that they were safe, secure and reassured. HR communicated regularly to keep them abreast of changes.
With the dawn of the vaccine and the associated vaccination programme, we encouraged staff to get vaccinated. We recorded a video with key Black leaders within the organisation to encourage diverse participation, knowing that Black and Asian people are more likely to catch the virus as a result of underlying conditions and due to the higher proportion of these ethnic groups working in frontline roles.
As we emerge from lockdown, we have found that our employees are seeking a different pace of work and a different way of working than before. Many wish to continue to work from home so that they can manage their work-life balance more effectively.
In order to accommodate our staff, we are implementing hybrid working practices so that staff can work from home part of the week and also work from an office hub where they can meet with team members or take part in collaborative working.
“For housing associations and charities, people are our most valuable asset, so it is important that we look after them”
While working from home has been a benefit for some, absence due to stress is on the rise, due to employees experiencing feelings of isolation, concern over job security, and difficulties in managing work-life balance. Getting the balance right will be important. So we are identifying ways to help our staff to stay healthy in mind, body and spirit.
We have recently launched a new initiative called Y-Balance to highlight the importance of staff well-being. Our approach is founded on the concept of mind, body and spirit, which is a core YMCA approach to well-being.
We have developed this further by focusing on the ‘five domains of well-being’ as described by the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development. The five domains include health, good work (and working environment), collective social (positive relationships and involvement), values, and personal growth.
We help staff to stay healthy by offering free access to our gyms and online exercise classes, access to free counselling services and toolkits to help our staff manage their mental health. Our staff also have access to our well-being portal, Thrive, where they also receive information with tips around with healthy eating, financial well-being, resilience, meditation and much, much more.
The contribution HR and organisational development make to the business is invaluable. For housing associations and charities, people are our most valuable asset, so it is important that we look after them.
Marjorie James, group director of people, YMCA St Paul’s Group
