Our vision
That every colleague feels safe, well and enabled to do their very best work.
Introduction to the strategy
Our vision is to inspire and enable every colleague to bring their very best and contribute to our organisation's vision of 'working to engineer a better world.' We do this by ensuring we offer our colleagues a progressive and inclusive place to work.
"We have a clear people roadmap that supports this aim, centred around our five people priorities that span your working life at the IET. We want all our colleagues to feel inspired to join, enabled to do their very best, supported by their best endeavours, encouraged to live our values and developed to achieve their full potential – the wellbeing of our people is therefore at the heart of everything we do."
A welcome from Morna
How wellbeing links with our health and safety commitments
"Over the past decades, health and safety in the workplace has dramatically reduced workplace illness and injury. Focus has now rightly turned to the importance of wellbeing in the workplace in maintaining and improving good mental health and wellness. This strategy is an important part of our holistic approach to health, safety and wellbeing of all colleagues."
Our approach to your wellbeing
Realising our vision of 'working to engineer a better world' requires us to inspire and enable you to bring your very best self to work and to be given the freedom and platform to express yourself fully and in a way which works for you. This means providing an environment - both physically and mentally - in which you and your colleagues can truly flourish and contribute to the very best of your ability.
We have chosen to adopt the Six Dimensions of Wellness framework from the National Wellness Institute because it ensures we consider all aspects of an individual’s wellbeing and helps us ensure we are providing the right interventions that contribute to high levels of wellness.
The Six Dimensions of Wellness
from the National Wellness Institute
1 = Vitality
- Change postures and move as you are able during the workday
- Eat well and choose places to work that ‘feel good’
2 = Optimism
- Fostering innovation and creativity
- Explore new ideas and be open to change
3 = Mindfulness
- Be fully engaged, focused and immersed in the present
- Re-energise ourselves and encourage a healthy work-life balance
4 = Authenticity
- Really be yourself
- Build trusting relationships with co-workers and be able to bring your whole self to work
5 = Purpose
- Know how you contribute to the organisation
- See your impact and know your strengths
6 = Sense of belonging
- Having social connections with co-workers
- Feel connected to the organisation’s brand, purpose and culture
If we create an environment that pays attention to the Six Dimensions of Wellness, our culture can reflect these descriptors:
Wellbeing doesn’t happen by chance. It requires individual commitment to take care of your own wellbeing and pay attention to the needs of others. It also requires organisational commitment and action.
To make this a reality we've set up five focus areas - each with their own clear commitments and actions - to deliver the tangible things we need to do to make this a reality. You can explore them below - and even hear from colleagues themselves...
Our five focus areas
Mental Health
Colleagues feel psychologically safe and well.
Vitality
Colleagues can adopt healthy behaviours that benefit their own physical wellbeing.
Environment
Colleagues have access to a modern, inclusive, productive and healthy workplace.
Culture
Colleagues are part of a safe, inclusive and supportive community.
Financial
Colleagues are fairly rewarded and have access to benefits that work for them.
Our achievements so far
- trained all Line Managers in effectively managing mental wellbeing of individuals and teams
- implemented a Menopause Policy
- have trained Mental Health First Aiders at work
- implemented a new flexible home-working policy
- provided a range of resources and support to promote mental health at work
- reduced the number of colleagues taking time off work due to mental health related problems
- Implemented Menopause Guidance
- Meet your Mental Health First Aiders
Our mental health commitments this year
- promote Mental Health First Aid and gather insight for uptake so far
- deliver a schedule of awareness days for colleagues, linking to useful resources
- hold monthly coffee chats (in person and/or virtual) to enhance colleague wellbeing
You can see our Mental Health action plan here
Our achievements so far
- undertaken disability inclusion awareness training for all managers and colleagues
- promoted active living products and services through our perks portal
- undertaken regular ‘global wellbeing’ challenges and events
- launched new vitality perks
Our vitality commitments this year
- ongoing communications and engagement opportunities in line with wellbeing focus months
- communications campaign to encourage greater levels of ‘vitality’ throughout the day
- promote healthy eating habits
- create Global Wellbeing Challenges for 2022
Our achievements so far
- achieved our Disability Confident Leader status
- re-designed our workplace to create more collaborative and energising workspace
- embedded new ways of working
- promoted healthy choices
Our environment commitments this year
- promote sustainable behaviours in the workplace
- launch an environment awareness campaign for colleagues to help them make sustainable choices
- achieve Investors in the Environment Silver status
- develop a schedule of wellbeing activities in the Stevenage office
- provide products to alleviate period poverty
You can see our latest Environment action plan here
Our achievements so far
- implemented a leadership model and development programme
- developed our employee value proposition
- launched our wellbeing strategy and commitments
- launched a wellbeing core skills programme
- created a wellbeing hub on the intranet with a wide range of wellbeing resources
Visit our Wellbeing hub
Our culture commitments this year
- provide workshops and resources for all colleagues as part of the Core Offer
- promote wellbeing discussions and webinars around wellbeing awareness days
- enable our leaders and managers to support and encourage wellbeing
- enhance the wellbeing culture of the IET
You can see our Culture action plan here
Our financial support achievements so far
- introduced our Employee Assistance Programme
- introduced a range of targeted financial wellness resources and support
- implemented a Digital GP service
- launched Total Reward Statements
- implement a range of new colleague benefits
Our financial wellbeing commitments this year
- engage colleagues with the financial wellbeing offering
- develop a new recognition awards site to make it more user friendly for colleagues
- enhance the current perks where necessary
You can see our latest financial wellbeing action plan here
Wellbeing Champions
To support our wellbeing strategy, we have created Wellbeing Champions who play a key role in developing and supporting a culture of wellness by:
- taking an active part in promoting activities and events
- encouraging colleagues to access relevant health and wellbeing opportunities
- sharing best practice and stories of success
- signposting colleagues to relevant IET wellbeing resources and services
- being a role model and promoting a healthy culture
You can meet some of our Wellbeing Champions here
Our strategy is designed to deliver actions that will make a positive difference to your wellbeing.
We will continually monitor and review the impact our actions are having on the following:
- the number and reasons for colleagues choosing to leave the IET
- our sickness absence rate
- uptake of employee benefits
- uptake of wellbeing support and resources
- employee advocacy
- feedback through employee surveys
A word from Nigel
“This document sets out our commitments to creating a workplace culture and environment that supports and promotes good health and wellbeing for all our colleagues. It is hugely important to me that we all feel safe, included and able to do our very best work. Recent times have shown us the importance of taking care of ourselves and one another. It is the actions we take, individually and collectively that will ensure we continue to be an organisation where everyone can both thrive and make a positive contribution to the IET.”
Thank you
Take a look at our Wellbeing hub