The multifaceted nature of Covid-19 has meant employers have had to develop sophisticated responses when it comes to supporting employee health and wellbeing in our ‘new normal’. A biopsychosocial approach has paid dividends for Anglian Water, as Victoria Sloan and Jonathon Hill explain.
Over the last few years, Anglian Water (AW) has been on a journey to provide employees with the support they need to be happier, healthier, and safer.
The Covid-19 pandemic was an important point on that journey. Overnight 3,000 employees were asked to work from home and frontline working practices were immediately adapted.
AW has worked hard to ensure that colleagues knew where, when, and how to access health information and support. Maintaining employee safety required creating hundreds of Covid-secure workplaces.
Whilst many worked from home, others worked on site. It was crucial the entire workforce could access support remotely, and at a time suiting their needs. In spring 2020, in partnership with Vitality Health, the business launched a supplementary wellbeing calendar which focused on mental, physical, social and financial wellbeing.
The activities and resources highlighted by the calendar were informed by employee need and identified through regular data capture. All workers were able to access a range of initiatives/activities.
These included ‘Mindful Mondays’, weekly yoga classes, articles, podcasts, and webinars. Staff members could benefit no matter their abilities or interest. Great feedback was received and provided a roadmap for engagement for the New Year.
Focus on access and understanding
Occupational health CPD
Promoting employee wellbeing does not just entail making opportunities available, but requires that team members understand and wish to access the resources and activities offered.
During the early weeks of 2021, AW’s senior leadership teams hosted a virtual wellbeing event, ‘Time out for LIFE’, designed to inform and engage our diverse workforce and featuring vibrant keynote speakers (see later for more on this).
Employees could choose sessions that most interested them. These focused on physical, emotional, financial and social wellbeing. Regular and local suppliers could also access these events, in recognition that the pandemic was having an impact on their lives and AW wanted to support them too.
The business expanded its employee assistance programme, incorporating a ‘live chat’ function. This recognised and showed sensitivity to those with different needs, particularly those with caring and home-schooling responsibilities.
Wellness action plans were developed, colleagues were encouraged to complete or update these in light of the changing Covid-19 circumstances in which the business had been operating. The aim was to remind employees what they could do to remain well at work.
Throughout the year the internal communications team ran campaigns highlighting themes in our wellbeing plan. These supported employees on key areas of wellbeing and signposted available support initiatives.
Multi-channel communications ensured messages reached employees on and off site. Our employee newspaper was sent to employees’ homes. Themes were carefully timed to draw on national campaigns, including Time to Talk. Targeted activities were carried out within the wider themes focusing on the needs and lifestyles of particular groups avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach.
In late April 2020 a survey was sent to employees and our alliance partners allowing us to better focus our support and efforts for everyone’s wellbeing. A similar survey was repeated in 2021 to understand the ongoing impact the pandemic was having on our people’s health and wellbeing enabling the organisation to continue to provide the best support possible.
The wellbeing and safety of our employees, whether home- or field-based, was at the forefront of AW’s response. Early on in the pandemic, workers of utility companies were identified as key workers as they provided a critical service to national infrastructure.
Our employees continued to work throughout and we strove to support staff to be happier, healthier and safer at work during this time. We have partnered with other organisations as a mutual learning opportunity, sharing insight, and contributing to various toolkits and best practice papers.
Informing our wellbeing plan
A wide range of data informed our wellbeing strategy. Such data included sickness absence statistics, employee assistance programme usage, referrals to occupational health, employee engagement, near miss data and safety climate surveys.
This ensured that we focused on the right health and wellbeing issues for our employees. Our annual employee engagement survey incorporates an index to monitor engagement with wellbeing.
The company participates in external wellbeing surveys including Britain’s Healthiest Workplace, Business in the Community (BITC) mental health surveys and the Vitality Health Age health assessments. These provided opportunities to benchmark across the industry, providing further data to strengthen our employee need-focused wellbeing plan.
In addition to our pandemic response, we analysed datasets to identify opportunities and risks. This information was shared within the organisation for transparency on health and wellbeing issues. During the winter we observed an increase in mental health issues (including social and financial wellbeing). In spring/summer musculoskeletal problems were more prevalent.
To provide bespoke support trends were analysed within certain job roles and locations. Based on this information we developed initiatives including physical and emotional resilience training, health checks and a return to health programme. A holistic approach ensured employees understood the links between health, wellbeing and psychological safety.
We have set objectives and targets to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and impact of both our physical and mental health and wellbeing strategy. This was informed by data from our mental health self-referral scheme.
All communication campaigns were measured against engagement and uptake of those initiatives. Success was determined by participation in wellbeing activities and evaluation of those interventions. Qualitative data was collected through focus groups, ‘LIFE’ leadership meetings and informal feedback through our wellbeing and LIFE mailboxes. The evaluation of a ‘Time Out for LIFE’ virtual health, safety and wellbeing event indicated that 95% of participants felt it benefited their wellbeing.
The ‘Time out for LIFE’ event
Events were arranged for all our people in early 2021, reflecting our value of always doing the right thing by caring for our people’s wellbeing.
Content was carefully planned, enabling employees to choose sessions that suited their own personal wellbeing needs and interests. We recognised employees are aware of the wellbeing support available but that they are also accountable for looking after themselves.
Wellbeing sessions were run at different times throughout a four-week period enabling staff to join at a time that suited their shift/working pattern.
All sessions were recorded, enabling everyone to continue their wellbeing journey after the event or play back a session they did not join. This has gathered momentum across the organisation with many business areas running their own supplementary sessions to continue supporting their teams.
Some suppliers created additional materials, opportunities and videos to support our employees and included offers to join local sports facilities and virtual classes. When these initiatives were evaluated, 95% of attendees indicated benefitting from joining these events, the top three reasons being that they: gave time to focus on wellbeing, personalised content and line management support.
The success of these events has resulted in us planning to repeat them in 2022.
Embedding wellbeing within our culture
Peter Simpson, our executive sponsor for health, safety and wellbeing, demonstrated his support by frequently fronting our wellbeing campaigns and video promotions.
One of these included support for World Mental Health Day. Importantly, most board members have completed mental health at work training.
Our crisis communications strategy throughout the pandemic has been centred on providing updates on the rapidly evolving situation and how the organisation should respond to it particularly regarding the support available for employee physical and mental wellbeing.”
Senior leaders and line managers are accountable for health and wellbeing performance within their teams. All managers are aware of the individual and team wellbeing risk assessments and wellness action plans, which are available to support employees.
Our management board regularly monitors and reviews business sickness absence rates; health, wellbeing and safety is on every meeting agenda. Managers are supported with regular communications on wellbeing campaigns. Operational leaders have wellbeing as key agenda items for monthly team briefings.
The organisation’s annual wellbeing plan encourages both managers and employees to engage in a calendar of wellbeing events. Our annual employee engagement survey includes wellbeing, and we participate in many external wellbeing surveys to benchmark our programme.
The wellbeing and safety of our workforce, whether home- or field-based, was at the forefront of our Covid-19 response.
Our crisis communications strategy throughout the pandemic has been centred on providing updates on the rapidly evolving situation and how the organisation should respond to it particularly regarding the support available for employee physical and mental wellbeing. Communication channels were enhanced with a series of videos from the management board, regular live virtual forums for leaders and a new intranet.
Our range of internal and external wellbeing and safety resources remain easily accessible through our intranet site. As we have a diverse workforce with differing needs, employees can access resources at any time and from any device.
Physical activity is encouraged within the organisation. The cycle-to-work scheme is promoted through our employee benefit programme enabling staff to enjoy the benefits of fresh air and exercise on their commute and showers are available for those cycling to work.
Once at work, work equipment and work processes are designed using ergonomic principles to promote musculoskeletal health. As there is no health without mental health there is access to an employee assistance programme advice is available when needed to support financial wellbeing.
Our recent ‘Time out for LIFE’ initiative included a range of mental health, physical health and behavioural topics that employees could select to meet their own needs. ‘LIFE’ and ‘wellbeing’ mailboxes have provided employees with opportunities to share ideas, initiatives or experiences to develop the organisation’s wellbeing plan.
Transitioning to a new way of working
Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, organisations globally have considered how they might maintain their people working from home and AW was no different.
Whilst benefiting from the subsequent reduction in our office estate, we had already prioritised a move towards more agile working. The AW approach is not a one-size fits all but acknowledges that different roles, skill sets, and different types of people have different needs, so a flexible approach is crucial.
The objectives of AW’s ‘Ways of Working’ programme have included:
- ensuring staff have the right tools and skills to collaborate from wherever they are working;
- adapting and creating space in our campus buildings and operational sites meeting the needs of a more flexible working culture;
- providing fit for purpose spaces for people connection, collaboration, learning and innovation; and
- equipping managers with the right tools and skills to manage teams effectively across multiple locations ensuring clarity of responsibilities, quality, productivity, customer experience and employee wellbeing are more focused than ever.
As a purpose- and values-driven organisation, our new ways of working reflect our values in action – taking personal responsibility for the choices we make, building trust with colleagues wherever they are, and exploring new and better ways of doing things.
During the pandemic, unless there is a critical need, staff have been asked to work from home where possible. Our 3,000 employees have been able to do this, collaborating virtually with colleagues and supported by transformed IT networks and equipment including office chairs and extra computer monitors.
As many have confirmed an improved work/life balance, AW is committed to continue to offer home-working in the future, targeting an improved and flexible approach.
Some staff have been unable to work from home as a result of:
- requiring access to the equipment required to fulfil their role;
- their home environment being inappropriate for home-working; and
- a possible impact on their physical or mental wellbeing, for example, for those subject to domestic abuse, working from home may present a range of challenges. Being in the workplace could provide welcome respite.
Flexibility has been key. Many staff members have continued to home-work despite encountering new challenges, such as home-schooling. The wellbeing benefits associated with this flexibility will be embedded through the organisation when the pandemic has eventually passed.
As there is so much more opportunity to be had, this will be a longer-term programme of work and will run over several years.
Health, safety and wellbeing within new ways of working
AW values the health benefits that a connection with nature can bring, so we have integrated this into our new ways of working programme.
The outdoors has been brought indoors, with green spaces being integrated within offices. This has helped those who are working in the workplace connect with nature, aiming for positive effects for those suffering from depression, as well as improving concentration, memory and attention levels.
Safety has always been the number one priority at Anglian Water, with psychological safety being part of our culture. Nothing is so important time cannot be taken to do it safely.”
Biophilia has been incorporated in our annual wellbeing plan; we have created allotments, wellbeing and memorial gardens in unused spaces on water treatment facilities. This provides spaces for employees and surrounding communities to connect with nature.
Safety has always been the number one priority at AW, with psychological safety being part of our culture. Nothing is so important time cannot be taken to do it safely.
Our health and safety strategy has been refreshed, guiding colleagues and alliance partners on how everyone can play their part in ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone across the business and supply chain.
This plan is even more critical than ever as we have to explore new ways of establishing good safety practices that will meet the challenges faced by the coronavirus pandemic.
All wellbeing and safety resources, information and documents are easily accessible through our intranet site which employees can access from any device. This means that they can service their own wellbeing needs at any time.
Our long-term wellbeing strategy, based on the BITC ‘Workwell’ model, focuses on our employees being ‘healthier, happier, safer’.
It puts health and wellbeing centre-stage and extends beyond our workforce to those we do not directly employ, such as contractors in our supply chain. Our ambition is to support employees at home and at work, and that coming to work should have a positive impact on employee health and happiness.
This goes much further than the original message of mitigating any risks or detriment work might have. AW follows this model by making wellbeing central to our organisational strategy, as our ability to perform as a business is linked entirely to the performance of the people within it.
We have a fundamental belief that looking after our people is the right thing to do, but it also makes good business sense. From a business point of view, if our colleagues are fit, well and safe they are likely to be more productive and deliver a better service to our customers.
Conclusions
Finally, looking to a post-Covid future, Anglian Water has launched a ‘Ways of Working’ programme. This sets out to:
- make sure employees have the right tools and skills to collaborate, wherever they are working;
- adapt and create flexible fit for purpose spaces in our campuses and operational sites for connection, collaboration, learning and innovation; and
- equip managers with the tools and skills to manage teams effectively across multiple locations, ensuring clarity of responsibilities, productivity, customer experience and employee wellbeing are more focused than ever.
Our ‘Love to Listen’ employee survey has given us great feedback to demonstrate the success of our measures to date.
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We will continue to promote the biopsychosocial model of health as we recognise that it pays dividends and adds value to the organisation. Promoting and supporting worker health is definitely good.
Check out our supporting CPD activities and resources, collated by Professor Anne Harriss, that accompany this article.
