- support for employee caregivers (donation of days, family caregiver days, family caregiver booklet);
- support for employees who are victims of domestic violence (up to one month of hotel expenses, three paid days of absence, domestic violence booklet);
- protection measures for sick employees as well as prevention measures (maintenance of compensation during sick leave, half‑day of absence authorized to take prevention exams, support for employees after a long illness). A Caring@Work Community has been created in Marcel to provide quick and easy access to the support systems put in place for employees.
4) 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 with the help of 145 volunteers, Wellbeing Champions trained in issues related to well‑being at work who can provide concrete answers, particularly on economic issues related to inflation;
- the offer of physical and mental healthcare services remained highly valued thanks to the simplified access to the EAP – Employee Assistance Program, and to different approaches: yoga, meditation, massages, sports club (including running, cycling, etc.), supplemented by a dedicated 24/7 line. 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 that are 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; Similar approaches adapted to meet employee expectations exist throughout Europe.
- in Poland, with the Talent team, a joint program on health and well‑being at work has been strengthened over the last few years, with the intervention of professionals and external experts. The healthcare offer is accessible to employees and their families in order to have easy access to healthcare professionals (covering dental, eye, nutrition and mental health). In terms of mental health, an ad hoc system was set up where employees can express themselves in Polish, Ukrainian or English. A sports program allows teams that so wish to access sports, swimming, gymnastics, dance and fitness facilities, as well as rock‑climbing and skiing;
- in Australia and New Zealand, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is now well deployed. It provides free, 24/7 access to health professionals and psychologists providing mental health support. Doctors and specialists are also accessible to relatives of employees. With the roll‑out of the WorkingWithCancer internal plan, free prevention consultations have been popular, as were skin cancer screening tests. Internal activities around the Mental Health & Wellbeing policy continued, particularly in terms of training 137 volunteers in Mental Health First Aid; they were able to access more in‑depth training to maintain their skills and knowledge, making them immediately operational when needed. Lastly, due to a complicated economic context in 2023, two new training courses in personal finance were made available to employees: “Navigating current home loan market” and “Mastering Superannuation;
- In South Africa, AIDS‑HIV prevention and screening sessions are also held every year, and during Wellness Days, workshops are open to all employees on the classic themes of well‑being at work, with discovery sessions on meditation (mindfulness). In addition,the international partnership with Thrive continues, this application provides access to content to improve physical and mental fitness, access to yoga classes, meditation, and various exercises that are easy to practice on a daily basis. With the introduction of the WorkingWithCancer program, the key points of the program in the United States are guaranteed jobs and salaries for sick employees, access to support and coaching services to help them through difficult times, and a warm and effective internal community to support both patients and caregivers.
