Be Inspired: Retailers raising the bar in mental health support
The UK is facing a mental health crisis. From Superdrug to Pets at Home, meet the retailers making it their responsibility to support and protect their employees’ mental health
Around one in four people will experience a mental health issue in any given year, according to NHS digital.
This figure may be stark, however when it comes to the mental health of employees, the prevalence of issues such as stress, anxiety and depression could make this ratio even higher.
A 2019 survey of 44,000 employees conducted by mental health charity Mind found that 71% of employees had experienced mental health problems in their lives, while 53% of employees reported being affected by poor mental health in their current workplace.
Fast forward to August 2020 and, following months of uncertainty caused by the global pandemic combined with the onset of the UK’s deepest recession, these issues are only likely to intensify.
Mind’s head of workplace wellbeing Emma Mamo says: “The pandemic may have affected our mental health in different ways, including worrying about health, finances and job security; as well as dealing with bereavement.”
Mental health has been a hot topic for the retail industry for some time now but the events of recent months have placed employee wellbeing under the spotlight. Mamo says that a recent survey by Mind of 11,500 people in England showed that two in three people reported their mental health had worsened during lockdown.
As we move into the ‘new normal’, businesses must open up conversations around mental health, take real action to support staff and roll out initiatives with a long-term impact. And while mental health support may cost time and money, Mamo reports that “even measures that have a cost attached will save employers money in the long run, through improved staff productivity, morale and retention; and decreased sickness absence”.
“In fact, Deloitte UK has found employers that invest in mental health see an average return of £5 for every £1 spent,” she concludes.
We’ve explored how four retailers and brands are stepping up to support the mental wellbeing of their workforces and what others can learn from them.
Two in three people reported their mental health had worsened during lockdown
“Employers that invest in mental health see an average return of £5 for every £1 spent“
Superdrug
- Rolled out a multi-million employee support package to relieve pressures on staff
- Introduced wellbeing ambassadors to communicate mental health strategy
- Issued mental health training to all managers
- Has a zero-tolerance policy towards aggressive customer behaviour
At the start of the pandemic Superdrug introduced a £40m employee support package to relieve financial stress for employees. This package covered full pay for those who were self-isolating or sick due to symptoms of coronavirus, as well as those who were unable to work through being extremely clinically vulnerable, living with someone extremely clinically vulnerable, a parent or due to store or service closures. The retailer also introduced a dedicated seven-days-a-week People Advice team to answer any questions and concerns for its 16,000 staff.
Ultimately, Superdrug’s customer and people director Jo Mackie says communication around mental health “has been key” with “managers encouraged to check in with their teams weekly to personally hear how things are going for individuals”.
Mackie says these discussions have been crucial to supporting staff mental health and, as an upshot of these conversations, the business launched a campaign called ‘Stronger together, even when we’re apart’. This campaign intended to “tackle any feelings of isolation and loneliness that could have an impact on mental health” and included a ‘Friends on Furlough’ blog post series, which was shared internally and involved key members of the Superdrug team sharing experiences while away from the business and encouraging others to join in the conversation.
In August, the business ran a dedicated Wellbeing Week, publishing resources to support the health of employees and introducing wellbeing ambassadors – ‘Wellbeing Champs’ – to act as key contacts to communicate its ongoing wellbeing strategies.
However, Mackie wants to do more to provide wellbeing support and tells Retail Week that “from now until the end of the year we will be dedicating each month to focusing on a different area of our four wellbeing pillars including mental, physical, financial and social.”
“We also have plans to further raise awareness for World Mental Health Day in October, and will be signposting to available resources to support different areas of mental health and specific conditions“
She adds: “We also have plans to further raise awareness for World Mental Health Day in October, including training for our managers and ‘Wellbeing Champs’, and will be signposting to available resources to support different areas of mental health and specific conditions.”
The business is also taking action in its physical stores to support staff wellbeing. Mackie reports that Superdrug has “seen a 21% year-on-year increase in aggressive behaviour towards Superdrug retail colleagues”.
To combat issues that could negatively impact its employees’ mental health, Superdrug has launched the Be Kind, Shop Kind initiative, which encourages customers to be respectful of staff by sharing guidelines via in-store posters and online posts. Superdrug has also pledged to take a zero-tolerance stance to any aggression shown towards staff, with prosecution among the actions it will take.
Wessanen UK
- Introduced a workplace resilience programme
- Removed hierarchy from decision-making to involve all staff
- Issues staff surveys to ensure mental health needs are heard
- Launched financial advice clinics to help staff dealing with money worries
For Wessanen UK, owner of food brands including Kallo, Clipper Teas, Whole Earth and Mrs Crimble’s, the pandemic highlighted “external stresses for its staff” and it has taken action to “positively embrace the experience, and give the right support and tools to keep the team feeling supported.”
HR director Ann Chambers says that while the business already has its wellbeing programme ‘Flourish’ to give employees guidance, the pandemic fast-tracked its introduction of a “resilience programme”.
This programme was a learning module that asked employees to take a Q&A to identify their trigger points and would then prescribe the best webinars to take based on their results to help them manage and overcome hurdles. Chambers says the programme was a success for the business, “encouraging inner self-belief with take-up from over 60%” of its 220-strong UK workforce.
Echoing Superdrug’s Mackie, Chambers says for mental health support to work “the key is listening to the team, what they want and what is working by surveying them, not too often, but regularly”.
“Removing the hierarchy allowed us to make the most informed decision for us“
These surveys have fed into wider conversations and Chambers says “whole company brainstorms are now much more common”.
She adds: “When the government advised that we could return to the workplace, we hosted a whole team discussion and decided on the best approach with input from all levels of the business. Removing the hierarchy allowed us to make the most informed decision for us.”
Finally, Chambers says introducing one-on-one finance clinics in recent months to alleviate financial pressures has “proved incredibly beneficial” with its team reporting a 95% satisfaction rate.
Lily's Kitchen has introduced an employee assistance programme to "keep the team laughing and upbeat"
Lily's Kitchen has introduced an employee assistance programme to "keep the team laughing and upbeat"
Staff have been given the option to work full time from home
Staff have been given the option to work full time from home
Employees are under no pressure to return to the office
Employees are under no pressure to return to the office
Lily’s Kitchen
- Issues surveys to check in on team sentiment
- Offers “happiness packages” for staff
- Is building up its employee assistance programme
- In process of setting up a mental health workstream
Accelerated by the impact of the pandemic, pet food brand Lily’s Kitchen has introduced several initiatives to support the mental wellbeing of its staff.
HR director Georgina Cameron highlights that steps taken include building up its employee assistance programme to share “positive quotes and anecdotes to keep the team laughing and upbeat, paid time off for dependants, and wellbeing communication and advice on professional support”.
The retailer has also offered all staff “the ability to work full time from home with no pressure on returning to the office, and is taking a flexible approach to working including giving staff the option to work abroad for family or personal reasons if needed”.
Cameron also says that simple gestures have gone a long way to keep staff spirits high, such as the launch of “happiness packages” –“a delivery of a large box of chocolate bars to every member of the team to say thanks for doing a good job and pulling together during tough times”.
Much like Wessanen’s Chambers, Cameron advocates the use of surveys to ensure staff are being heard and issues are being addressed. “At Lily’s we are a close-knit, caring and collaborative team, so knowing our team feels really supported and cared for, particularly in relation to what they have previously experienced or heard of in other situations, is a huge positive.”
“We’re in the process of setting up a mental health workstream led by our mental health first aider and we’re hoping to introduce mental health action plans and objectives in the same way as we have role/business objectives“
This is only the start for Lily’s Kitchen's mental health support, however, and Cameron tells Retail Week that the business wants to continue “raising awareness about poor mental health, break associated stigmas, and educate and train our staff so that everyone feels they can bring their whole self to work".
She adds: “To that end, we’re in the process of setting up a mental health workstream led by our mental health first aider and we’re hoping to introduce mental health action plans and objectives in the same way as we have role/business objectives.”
Reflecting on her learnings, Cameron says her topline advice for retailers to prioritise staff mental health is to:
- Look to offer three different levels of support: on a company-wide scale, by team and at an individual level
- Get to know your team or support your managers in getting to know their teams as individuals so they can identify if behaviour or reactions are different to usual or if someone is silently struggling –and then reach out accordingly
- Trust and encourage candid open conversations without shame or judgement – it’s okay to speak up
- Where possible, provide options that prevent pressure and let staff know they don’t have to be alone
Pets at Home
- Created private inbox for employees to share concerns and speak to members of support staff
- Introduced colleague hardship fund, which has made tangible difference to removing financial burdens
- Launched a buddy programme, encouraging staff to share their experiences
- Runs listening groups and round tables to ensure all staff are being heard
Pets at Home has significantly boosted activity around wellbeing and mental health since the pandemic.
Speaking to Retail Week, creative development and innovation director Claire Gavin says this activity has included introducing weekly wellbeing newsletters, creating and issuing guidance documents for furloughed colleagues and their line managers to look after their mental health, and launching a wellbeing pulse survey to measure staff concerns across the business.
Communication and engagement has again been key. Pets at Home recently launched a wellbeing Facebook page to keep colleagues connected in a public forum, while privately the retailer has created a dedicated wellbeing email inbox to facilitate direct contact between individuals and its wellbeing team, sharing support services.
The pet retailer also established a buddy scheme whereby store- and office-based colleagues are encouraged to contact each other on a weekly basis to share experiences and discuss business actions and challenging conversations with customers.
More than anything else though, financial support has been the core focus. Gavin explains that the business has focused on increasing awareness of its colleague hardship fund; topping up the fund to £1m and awarding £200,000 to staff in need of support from March to date – up from £11,000 in the same period in 2019.
“The [colleague hardship] fund has been Pets at Home's single most successful mental health initiative”
Gavin says “materially the fund has been Pets at Home's single most successful mental health initiative”. “It has included support for colleagues whose partners have been furloughed, paid bills directly to landlords and utility companies, helped a family afford a much needed wheelchair for their son when the NHS was otherwise engaged and has supported families to afford unexpected funerals.”
Listening to employees and acting on staff insights has also been integral. Gavin says the business has held round tables with colleagues from across functions to “talk about wellbeing and we’ve shared some very personal and difficult stories to let people know it’s okay not to be okay”. This also extends to executive listening groups.
Advising others how to provide real mental health support, Gavin says businesses should look to collaborate wherever possible. As a Be Inspired partner, Gavin says that taking part in Be Inspired’s conference break-out sessions “provided inspiration and sharing of advice”, while partnerships with Dementia Friends and Mind have offered “guidance and support to help with the development of wellbeing programmes”.
Advice from an expert: What can all
retailers do to support the mental
health of their workforce?
Emma Mamo, head of workplace wellbeing at Mind
“In the wake of the pandemic, employers’ focus has rightly been on making sure staff feel safe. This is especially crucial for key workers who put their own health on the line to keep the country running. But equally important is employee wellbeing, especially given physical and mental health often go hand in hand.
“The most important thing businesses can do is create a culture where staff of all levels – whether that’s shopfloor, managers or directors – can open up about their mental health and know that if they do, they’ll be met with support and understanding.
“The most important thing businesses can do is create a culture where staff of all levels can open up about their mental health and know that if they do, they’ll be met with support and understanding“
“Small, inexpensive measures can make a big difference. Offering staff access to initiatives such as subsidised gym membership and online exercise classes, 24-hour confidential support through an employee assistance programme (EAP), regular catch-ups with managers and other colleagues, flexible working hours and generous annual leave have all been associated with positive outcomes.
“There are lots of free resources available for staff and employers. Take a look at Mind, Mental Health at Work and Our Frontline, which has been launched by Mind, Samaritans, Shout, Hospice UK and with support from The Royal Foundation, to provide a combination of 1-2-1 support and online resources round the clock for all key workers, including those in retail.”
Be Inspired to make a change
RWRC’s Be Inspired programme promotes diversity at all levels of retail and encourages everyone, whoever they are and whatever their background, to fulfil their career aspirations. The programme covers key issues impacting those working in retail, including mental health, social mobility, inclusion, leadership, resilience and much more. Learn how you can benefit from the programme and get involved here.
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