The usual internal awareness-raising or prevention campaigns, linked to seasonal infections, pathologies or health risks, have been rethought to be effective and useful regardless of the workplace. All these systems now incorporate the specificities of recent years (difficulties related to isolation, uncomfortable working from home accommodation, personal or family constraints related to the pandemic, psychological distress, etc.).
Healthcare prevention areas: the teams mainly work sitting in front of one or more screens and employees are sedentary, with intense visual activity. The key areas for occupational illness prevention are stress management (and/or psychosocial risks: PSR) and the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). Visual fatigue and the prevention of risks linked to a sedentary lifestyle (cardiovascular diseases) are integrated into the health prevention plans, which include several components: office arrangements for working in a standing position, nutrition, physical/ocular exercises, disconnection, not forgetting advice on how to set up a pleasant corner in a constrained space for remote working. For the more sporty, many agencies facilitate access to nearby gyms by offering discounts on subscriptions or have distributed online courses. Some entities are equipped with their own sports halls, with an on-site trainer or coach, like Sapient in India, or like the Bastille Campus in Paris. In place since the lockdown or restriction periods, free virtual sessions for all allow those who wish to do physical exercise. Finally, for the most energetic, agencies encourage teams to take part in sports events (running, cycling, marathons or half-marathons, team sports):
- in the United Kingdom, local management has been involved for several years in a vast mental health prevention plan (well before Covid-19), involving all employees in order to meet their needs:
- 119 employees were trained as Mental Health First Aiders(with Mental Health First Aid England) and 15 of them received more specific training in suicide prevention. They are available to listen attentively to employees having difficulties or wishing to discuss this subject,
- The Wellbeing/Headline program continued and was enhanced, always with the help of 145 volunteers, Wellbeing Champions trained in issues related to well-being at work and can provide concrete answers, particularly on economic issues related to inflation,
- The offer of health care services in terms of physical and mental health remained highly appreciated thanks to the simplified access to the EAP – Employee Assistance Program and to activities: yoga, meditation, massages, sports club (including running, cycling, etc.), supplemented by a 24/7 hotline; Employees also have access to the Aviva Wellbeing app, which provides access to healthcare professionals,
- In addition, with PepTalk, employees have access to resources enabling them to answer many questions, whether they are professional development, inclusion or sustainability,
- Access to the platform Thrive offers yet another approach to support daily changes, to create new habits, simple and easy to implement,
- The UK Executive Committee regularly held plenary sessions to answer all employees’ questions, and the internal communication plan has always accompanied government health announcements,
- These sessions were supplemented by Brave Space and another individual format, Ask US Anything days, which are days organized by the Talent and DEI teams, where employees could meet directly with each other and ask more personal questions,
- Two internal surveys dedicated to employee well-being were repeated (one per half-year), in order to monitor changes in team morale and provide rapid responses,
- The Marcel Mentors program began allowing mentees with a professional challenge to find a voluntary mentor within the Groupe to support them; this relationship had a very positive impact for both partners, especially during the long months of working at home;
- in India, the Health & Wellness system relies on various permanent activities: 100% of employees can access a comprehensive social services program via an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which offers access to a free well-being portal with a 24/7 virtual access to specialist medical consultations, to help manage physical health issues as well as mental health issues and stress due to lockdowns. This is combined with the protections provided by the system to which the Groupe has subscribed, giving employees access to a medical concierge to troubleshoot or help in the event of an emergency. 100% of employees can contact health professionals and doctors on site and virtually, from gynecologists to physiotherapists and dieticians:
