This World Kindness Day Field Sales Solutions are proud to be actively encouraging our employees to take time out to focus on their well-being and will be hosting a ‘well-being workshop’ to support employees in finding time to be kind to themselves and each other.

World Kindness Day, why it matters

World Kindness Day is a globally recognised date that promotes the importance of being kind to each other, to ourselves and has the purpose of helping everyone understand that being kind actually helps ‘unite’ us, a sentiment which has never been more significant as it is in 2020.

As a business we set out an ambitious employee well-being agenda earlier this year and today marks a key opportunity to reach out to our employees and offer our support. We recognise that the pandemic has impacted individuals in a variety of different and complex ways, however we are determined as a business to create a framework in which we can support everyone’s well-being throughout this period and beyond.

Today, our head office team will be given the opportunity to participate in a business funded well-being workshop focused on the topic:

‘Mindfulness – the power of being kind to yourself’,

The session will be focused on breathing techniques and simple yoga practices that are designed to bring awareness to the body and mind, and how in focusing on our ‘breath’ we can allow ourselves to begin to move into recovery mode, inviting rest and recuperation, taking time out from the frenetic pace of life and the worries and stress that often go hand in hand with it. We will focus on being kind to ourselves and enabling us to be kind to one another.

The session will also offer a chance to reflect, connect and re-centre.

Why is focusing on employee well-being so important?

Now more than ever mental health is a key concern, it has been suggested by some independent studies that suicide rates could increase by up to 200% during the Covid19 pandemic. Organisations including the Samaritans have also continued to reiterate that mental health support is absolutely essential at this time and advised one in four of the conversations they have are of someone expressing suicidal thoughts or behaviours. In a recent survey of over 70,000 adults in the UK over 1 in 10 reported experiencing suicidal thoughts or thoughts of hurting themselves during the first week of lockdown.

The message is clear, supporting peoples well-being matters and it matter now more than ever.

Field Sales Solutions believe it is every employer's responsibility to provide a workplace where well-being matters

By supporting people to cope better with day-to-day stresses and having well-being strategies in place employers are not only improving their quality of life but are helping to create a more motivated, engaged, and high performing workforce – resulting in greater organisational success. There are many benefits to organisations adopting a proactive and preventative approach to well-being:

• Increased staff morale
• Increased staff commitment
• Increased productivity
• Better staff retention
• Reduced absence

For employees themselves the benefits of having a support framework and culture that promotes positive mental health are tenfold, in fact it could be life changing. People experiencing mental health difficulties lose their jobs every year at around double the rate of those without a mental health problem and at a much higher rate than those with a physical health condition. A supportive, inclusive workplace can help to prevent new mental health problems and support people struggling with their mental health to stay in work and thrive.

At Field Sales Solutions, we recognised that work plays a crucial part in most people's lives and not just in providing a source of income. It can give us a sense of purpose and achievement and boosts self-esteem, as well as an opportunity to build friendships with our colleagues.

We have therefore built a well-being framework that has seen us implement a robust support infrastructure to ensure our employees have access to support when and if they need it.

This includes:

• Partnering with professional organisations including Grocery Aid, Green Therapy, Well Mind Coach and Lynn Dixon Yoga.
• Funding 2 dedicated Field Sales Solutions external counsellors – with all fees associated being paid for by Field Sales Solutions directly
• Providing access to a 24/7 support line
• Investing in and implementing training accreditations for dedicated Mental Health First Aiders across our business
• Providing Management training around mental health awareness and processes to support
• Promoting an open culture around mental health issues
• Investing in and offering Mindfulness and Well-being sessions and workshops
• Empowering teams through awareness and training to help people to reach their potential

Why training and development plays a key role in well-being:

Mike Dunwell, our dedicated Capability Manager who is responsible for leading the training and development across our Head Office and Field teams, has played a fundamental role in driving forward our well-being strategy, and shares his view on why training teams on how to support employee well-being is key:

“It has been my mission to help our people think more about positive mental health in the same way that the team give focus to all the training we provide here at Field Sales Solutions. I wanted to find a ‘tool’ through which we could support each other remotely, but to also provide techniques and skills that would allow people to tackle mental health issues at this challenging time.

I found a Yoga instructor who teaches breath led yoga; bringing awareness to the body and mind and impact that ‘breath’ has upon it, and as I participated each week I found that my well-being and overall mental health improved in a way I never thought I needed.

I firmly believe that effective training empowers; so in the same way I approach learning and development initiatives I recognised that over and above promoting how to tackle mental health issues, there was also a need to provide practical skills to help prevent them.

I decided to trial the concept of teaching these techniques to our field team. Utilising our partnership with Lynn Dixon a certified Yoga instructor and Yoga for Health advocate. Initially we ran a two-stage workshop for our field management team, hosting a virtual ‘Mindfulness’ session that would encourage positive mental health techniques. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many participants having never realised they needed support in this way and how it helped them cope with daily life, especially in a pandemic.

To date we have brought Mindfulness and Well-being sessions to over 160 of our colleagues at Field Sales Solutions and today I am proud to be hosting the Mindfulness and Well-being sessions to our entire head office team.

I believe it all starts with taking care of ourselves first and if we get that right then we can help others more effectively and we can reach our potential fully. By raising awareness and providing tangible techniques we give people the opportunity and space to re-group and reflect.

I am so proud to work for an organisation that recognises the importance of investing in employee well-being and today on World Kindness Day I look forward to giving our team the opportunity to take time out to be kind to themselves.”

Field Sales Solutions will continue to provide on going support and investment in our people and we look forward to updating you further on our well-being agenda as it evolves.

In the meantime,

Be kind to yourself and to each other.