There’s no escaping the fact that the past couple of years have put much needed greater emphasis on employee wellbeing. An increasing number of organisations are coming to understand that by safeguarding the mental and physical wellbeing of their people, they foster a more supportive, nurturing and ultimate productive working environment.
Business success is inseparable from the welfare of the people who make businesses work, which is precisely why wellbeing is at the heart of this year’s Festival of Work.
Coming to you live from the London Olympia on the 15th and 16th of June, the CIPD Festival of Work promises to be your ultimate gateway into the latest market-leading technological developments, as well as playing host to industry experts who will be passing on their invaluable insight.
The Festival is a place to explore the single most important question for any organisation - how can you create an environment which enables your people to work better, and which works better for your people?
We believe a cornerstone of future business success will be closely linked with employee wellbeing. It seems to be a pretty simple formula - happy employees = more productive employees and yet, it’s all too often the case that in the mad scramble to secure future productivity and profitability, the wellness of employees is often left by the wayside.
Recent history has also shed a huge spotlight on the importance of safeguarding the physical and mental wellbeing of your people: research into the effect of the early stages of the pandemic found that the effects of lockdowns and other social restrictions placed a great deal of strain on the mental and physical wellbeing, with 36% of people surveyed claiming that they had experienced a loss of sleep as well as heightened feelings of stress and anxiety.
At Advanced, we believe firmly in the power of systems and technology to help businesses and people achieve more. In fact, one of the core ethos of our suite of Advanced Workforce Management software suite of solutions is empowering organisations to create a working environment which enables your people to not only achieve more but also feel more supported and engaged. These values are very much at the heart of this year’s Festival of Work, which is why we are proud to be sponsoring the Wellbeing Village at the event.
What is the Wellbeing Village?
The Wellbeing Village promises to be one of the most unique spaces at the event. With this year’s Festival of Work representing a long awaited return to in person events, it’s perhaps easy to overlook the fact that for many of us, big gatherings like this can still be a little overwhelming at times. That’s where the Wellbeing Village comes in- giving you a space to take some time out, reflect on what you’ve learned or just relax!
We also wanted to take the time to showcase some of the ways that organisations can introduce practical steps to place mindfulness and wellbeing at the heart of their workplace culture. We also appreciate that the modern workplace often doesn’t leave us with a great deal of time to spend on personal wellbeing, which is why we’ve cultivated a series of wellness exercises and programmes, designed specifically to fit around a hectic modern working schedule.
What to expect
Here’s a taste of what you can expect to find at the Advanced-sponsored Wellbeing Village:
- Breathwork has been developed by wellbeing coach, Jenna Robins BSc (Hons), and Is designed for those of us who want to combat stress and perform better but have little time in the day. Based on the ancient Chinese practice of Qigong, Breathwork uses exercises to optimise energy within the body, mind, and spirit, with the goal of improving and maintaining health and well-being. The synchronisation or movement following a smooth controlled breath with focused mindfulness actually creates physical changes to hormones and brain chemistry and neural networks and brain function.
- BorrowMyDoggy for Work is an employee benefit scheme where staff get help looking after their own dog, or spend time with one, either during or outside of working hours, in or out of the workplace. This unique initiative supports staff mental, physical and financial wellbeing. Spend some time with some furry friends and kick back and relax!
- Essential Vitality will be holding massage sessions around the day, designed to help you unwind and disconnect from the stresses of the wider world. Essential Vitality has supported companies for the last 15 years, by providing employee well-being services. These include On-Site Massage, Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Assessments, and on-line Well-Being. Their services show that prioritising employee well-being has a positive impact on both staff and business: helping your employees to feel valued, more motivated, and re-energised, results in increased productivity, staff retention and loyalty.
- Our friends at Westfield Health will also be hosting a series of physical wellbeing sessions throughout the course of the day. This 20-minute stretch and mobility session is designed to help release tension in all the areas of the body that can become stiff and tense due to prolonged sitting. Focusing on the shoulders, back and hips, you’ll leave this session feeling relaxed and loosened after carrying out both standing and floor based exercises. This low intensity session is designed for all abilities so grab yourself some water and we will meet you on the mats!
All of these sessions are available in regular blocks throughout the course of the day, meaning that you’re free to take time out of your schedule whenever suits you. If you find the hive of activity and hubbub of the wider event is getting to you, or if you simply want to take some time to yourself, come and say hi!
As well as the Wellbeing Village, the Advanced team will be on hand in the main exhibition floor to chat about all things work related and to take you through our suite of people management solutions. We believe that the systems and technologies you rely on daily have a key role to play in helping you craft policy which puts the wellbeing of your people at the forefront. Visit the Wellbeing Village, unwind and then stop by our stand for a chat about how Advanced’s People Management software can help you put wellbeing first within your organisation.