What is workplace wellbeing?
According to the American Psychological Association, the top 5 components to workplace wellbeing are:
- Work-Life Balance
- Health and Safety
- Employee Growth and Development
- Employee Recognition
- Employee Involvement
At Plastratum, we are committed to ensuring that we look after our team, because we know that way, they’ll look after us. Set out below are some of the things we do to support our people:
Work-Life Balance
Annual leave: All staff with more than three years’ service have an enhanced level of annual leave against statutory minimum. The leadership team encourage our direct reports to take their full allocation, and we have also encouraged them to ensure that their direct reports do likewise.
Overtime: Sometimes we are put under pressure to get the work done, and this requires factory overtime. Running the factory is expensive and is only cost effective if a certain number of people are able to do the same hours. We therefore need the team to buy in to the concept together
Absenteeism: We understand that things go wrong at home from time to time, and we try to be understanding about short term problems, so allowing time off at short notice for medical appointments, childcare, issues with cars, etc
Flexible working: Sometimes the problem is not just short-term, but requires an adjustment to hours. Where possible we have done our best to accommodate this, although you will appreciate that on the shop floor this can be more difficult to deal with.
Health & Safety
Focus: As well as H&S audits via our SSiP provider, we directly employ an individual who has a NEBOSH Health & Safety qualification. As part of our ISO9001 certification, we have a process whereby everyone can make H&S suggestions without fear that putting their heads above the parapet will be ridiculed or ignored, and we will always give you an answer.
Perkbox: We subscribe to Perkbox, which not only offers discounts for everyday expenses through the “Perks” function, but also offers a free “Wellness” hub offering videos to assist with meditation, sleep, preventing burnout and exercise, amongst other things.
Flu jabs: In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, we offered to pay for all flu jabs and give paid time off to attend a clinic or pharmacy to have one.
Growth and Development
Toxic culture: Most companies can point to a period of time where rogue individuals promoted a culture of toxicity, crossing the line from banter into bullying, undermining good behaviour and spreading lies and disinformation. Our values-driven culture dictates that high performance is only one side of the story – we also look for high standards of behaviour in all our people, what we describe as the #noassholes policy.
Training and development: Our view is that we should provide opportunity to everyone to be the best they can be, and it’s our obligation either to provide them with roles to exploit that personal growth, or to support them should they look for new opportunities.
Employee Recognition
Profit share: According to experts, a fair and transparent bonus scheme contributes to a sense of satisfaction in work. We have now introduced a discretionary scheme whereby everyone has the opportunity to benefit, provided that they meet certain criteria and the company is profitable.
Perkbox Discounts: Our membership of Perkbox means our team can access a range of discounts, from money off the weekly shop on most of the major supermarkets to reduced prices for meals, breakdown cover and cinema tickets. Every month you get free points which you can use for a one-off free treat, like a Greggs sausage roll or a Tesco Meal deal.
Perkbox Recognition: Perkbox isn’t just about accessing discounts. Any member of the team can log in and give recognition to one or more of their colleagues (either visible to all colleagues, or just the recipient) through the “Celebration” function.
Employee Involvement
Officevibe: Programs like this are designed to supplement existing lines of communication. We say that we operate an open-door policy, and we like to believe this is true, but sometimes there may be matters that people only want to raise anonymously, or some individuals who feel uncomfortable putting their name to a comment. Officevibe provides a solution to this need. We always reply to comments and suggestions.
Informal updates: Our leadership team meet with all our people regularly to outline our challenges and ambitions. These meetings provide people with the opportunity to ask whatever they want.