We’re all expecting a little more from our workplaces these days. We know that work can be an enormous source of stress for many; we also know that healthy workplaces – and well managed work – can be incredibly good for our form.

The pandemic has catapulted the issue of workplace mental health into the spotlight, and more people than ever before now (rightly) expect their employers to focus on wellbeing, support, and helping others.

Helping other people through good deeds, volunteering, or providing emotional support or an attentive ear has been proven to drastically improve our own wellbeing. Some organisations embrace the CSR side of helping others, and give employees days off to use for volunteering – which is a wonderful practice we’d encourage others to adopt.

There’s also the workplaces that place a real focus on empowering their employees to support one another, and one of the companies leading the way is executive search and recruitment firm Odgers Berndtson.

Best practice…in practice

Odgers Berndtson has a strong allies program, which spans ten different groups – including age, ethnicity, gender, disabilities, mental health, menopause, social mobility, LGBTQ+ and neurodiversity.

Allies are self-nominated employees who believe their colleagues should experience equality, fairness, and dignity at work. The groups also exist to ensure the company actively improves in all areas of inclusion, diversity, equity and access.

“The groups generate conversations and good practice, and encourage colleagues to help each other. These values are important across the business as they highlight the importance of respecting differences and treating everyone with dignity and fairness. Our culture is one that is open, happy and supportive – making it a mentally healthy place to work.” – Ali Palmer, Head of Consumer & Telecoms at Odgers Interim

Your employees make up a community, and your role as an employer is to make sure that community is a psychologically safe place to be. Initiatives like the ally programme are a fantastic place to start.

Share YOUR best practice

We believe that businesses can all learn from one another, which is why we plan on profiling an exemplary employer in every future edition of Friday Form. If you think your company deserves a mention, or you know someone who does, get in touch with us at hello@formscore.today