12 months in business can be both a long time and manage to disappear in the blink of an eye, and with September marking the first anniversary of our staff recreation space, it’s come around quicker than we imagined.
The rec space was developed in consultation with staff, kitted out with gym equipment, yoga mats, gaming consoles and board games to provide a place for employees to physically get away from their desks, recharge, and reconnect with the team.
12 months on since launching, I can say it’s more popular than ever, and it’s a great chance to reflect on how far we’ve come in further boosting our workplace culture.
I have always been proud of the culture we’ve created at EES Shipping, which is one of positivity, honesty, trust and transparency.
But getting it right doesn’t mean there’s no room for improvement, and over the past year we’ve looked at what more we can do to ensure our employees’ wellbeing is at the forefront of everything we do.
Our staff now also have access to a variety of other initiatives;
- Extra Days Off: We are currently trialling an extra RDO a month for approved team members, with the ultimate aim of moving to a four-day working week. The process has been largely staff-led, with the team working together to set boundaries around task handovers and job sharing, to ensure seamless continuity of the business.
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP): The EAP is a private, confidential service, available to all staff at any time and for any issue, whether it be work related or not. The past two and a half years have been particularly difficult for many of us, and with current rises in the cost of living, we appreciate that people are dealing with extra pressures in their lives outside of work.
- Regular HR Meetings – at the Employee’s Request: We have introduced an HR platform that allows staff to book in regular one on one coaching sessions with management, with templates available for particular topics they might wish to discuss. This offers staff the opportunity to discuss issues or concerns as they arise, rather than having to wait for formal quarterly appraisals.
- Training and Leadership Opportunities: Staff are encouraged to learn other roles within the business, with personal and professional development part of employee KPI’s. We’re also actively identifying potential leadership talent and opportunities for growth among the staff group.
As a society we’re increasingly talking about the importance of looking after our mental health.
As a company, we are keen to be part of the overall solution, and want to ensure our staff are supported and provided with the tools to foster positive mental health.
We know there’s not one silver bullet for this, but we hope that by offering a range of different initiatives, staff will be able to use the ones that best suit their needs at any particular time.
For those businesses still sitting on the fence about whether or not similar employee benefits would work in their workplace, or offer ‘return on investment’, I can say the results for us have been nothing short of outstanding.
At a time when some companies are struggling to recruit and retain staff, and are dealing with employee burn out and general unease at the state of the economy, we have a strong team of happy, long-term employees, and are currently looking at further opportunities for business growth.
Read more here.
