Staff Wellbeing Days
In addition to annual leave, staff are also given a Wellbeing Day to use once a year to do something that they feel will benefit their wellbeing. Staff can spend the day catching up with old friends, getting outdoors, exercising or simply catching up on sleep and rest. The aim is for staff to feel recharged and content after their wellbeing day.
Healthwatch Salford is also a Mindful Employer. As a Mindful Employer, we recognise that in the UK, people experiencing mental ill health continue to report stigma and discrimination at work. Having signed the ‘Charter for Employers Positive about Mental Health’, we are committed to creating a supportive and open culture, where colleagues feel able to talk about mental health confidently, and aspire to appropriately support the mental wellbeing of all staff.
As an employer, we have made an on-going commitment to:
- Provide non-judgemental and proactive support to staff experiencing mental ill health.
- Not make assumptions about a person with a mental health condition and their ability to work.
- Be positive and enabling towards all employees and job applicants with a mental health condition.
- Support line managers in managing mental health in the workplace.
- Ensure we are fair in the recruitment of new staff in accordance with the Equality Act (2010).
- Make it clear that people who have experienced mental ill health will not be discriminated against, and that disclosure of a mental health problem will enable both the employee and employer to assess and provide the right level of support or adjustment.
What have staff done on their Wellbeing Days?
At the start of February Elyse, our Knowledge & Support Officer started off her Wellbeing Day walking her dog along the River Mersey, grabbing a coffee along the route - something she rarely gets time to do as she's usually in a rush. Later that afternoon she went for a facial, using a spa gift voucher she was given for Christmas, which she feared she would never find time to use. The combination of exercise and relaxation meant that Elyse returned to work feeling refreshed and uplifted.
At the end of February, our Volunteer & Involvement Officer Amy will be spending her Wellbeing Day getting her hair done. Finding time to get a hair appointment around work or at weekends can be challenging, so the Wellbeing Day is a perfect opportunity to do this and not use up annual leave.
Often annual leave is taken up by family life and day-to-day commitments, so it's great that we have this Wellbeing Day to do something just for us and our wellbeing.
