Oakleaf Partnership hosted our latest HR in Insurance Round Table event this morning on the benefits of wellbeing, which stemmed from a number of conversations with our senior HR clients in the Insurance space. There seemed to be a good appetite to have an open forum about it, so we did!
We were delighted to introduce Sally Hemming, Associate Director, ER & Talent at EY and PhD research student, who gave a very insightful workshop around the topic:
“Is your workplace fundamentally good for people?”
Sally led exercises inviting the delegates to first evaluate their own wellbeing, and then work in small groups and share ideas around the challenges of establishing a Wellbeing strategy, the value of data and feedback from their own staff. She said that “the greatest business continuity risk hinges on the wellbeing of your people”, and added that cultural shift around this “can be about language and line managers and doesn’t have to about investment”. The return on cultural and management investment in this, though, could be really significant.
There was an agreement that a controlled amount of pressure can help employees do good work and can perform at their best when they are slightly out of their natural comfort zone, and the importance of also encouraging individuals to manage their own physical, psychological and mental wellbeing.
Jane Middleton spoke around the benefits of flexible working and the significant momentum our ground breaking part time team have already made in this space.
Feedback has already been very positive with suggestions taken, networks broadened and appetite for a follow up event which we are already looking to plan in.
On the back of this successful workshop, we are planning to host additional events around topical themes in HR, so if you would like to join us for a future Round Table event, or you are interested in information about any other initiatives we run, then please email garethevans@oakleafpartnership.com or call 0207 220 7030.