Supporting Wellbeing in the Workplace

Our commitment to supporting wellbeing in the Workplace

At CARD Group Research & Insight, we believe that a healthy workforce is a happy workforce, and a happy workforce is key to our business success. Over the past year, we’ve made a real commitment to, and invested significant time and resources in, promoting health and well-being at work. Some of our initiatives are set out below.

Well Talks: A Focus on Health Education

Understanding the importance of knowledge when it comes to health, and in line with our company objectives, we have organised a series of Well Talks and events to educate the team on a variety of topics. We’ve had experts from NICHS (Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke) in to cover heart health, stress management, and healthy eating, and Encompass Rehab who trained the team in musculoskeletal health in the workplace. 

Well Checks: Keeping Everyone on Track

We also offered Well Checks, which have been incredibly popular with the team. These health checks offer our employees a comprehensive way to monitor their well-being, from blood pressure readings to cholesterol tests. The team has appreciated the opportunity to assess their health, and given its success, we are planning to continue offering these checks in 2025 to ensure that everyone has the knowledge and tools to take control of their health.

Employee Recognition with the Legend Awards

One of our initiatives is the Legend Awards. This programme allows colleagues to nominate each other for recognition when they have gone above and beyond, whether for work-related achievements or something outside of the office. It’s a great way to boost morale and make sure that our team feel valued. Awards are meaningful to the team, from a takeaway on a Friday night to a spa voucher.

Supporting Staff Health: Flu Jab Reimbursement

We have offered to reimburse our team the cost of flu jabs for staff who aren’t eligible for the NHS version. 

Training and Professional Development

Across the year, our staff have been attending relevant training, workshops and events delivered by various organisations and groups, including ECNI (Equality Commission for Northern Ireland), the Belfast Business Promise and NICHS.

Appointing a Health Champion

Key to the organisation of many of these initiatives is Research Officer, Roxy Thompson, who is our Health Champion. Thanks to Roxy’s ongoing efforts, together with those of the whole team, we’ve created a workplace where employee health is prioritised, and everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Roxy has had the opportunity to attend NICHS Work Well Live Well Training and Health Champions Training alongside organisations such as Community Foundation NI, Cleaver Fulton Rankin Solicitors, Andor Technologies, Cancer Fund for Children, LM Services, NIJAC, and Action for Children. This training provided delegates with additional tools and knowledge to further support the health and wellbeing of their teams. Roxy has rolled out valuable insights into how we can support each other’s mental wellbeing in the workplace.

Charity Support: Making a Difference Beyond the Workplace

As a company, we support both local and national causes, with staff taking turns selecting a ‘charity of the quarter’ to be the focus of our fundraising efforts for that period. Staff have selected causes that are close to their heart, and over the past year, we have raised money for several important charities, including the Alzheimer’s Society, led by our Director of Corporate Services, Aoife Hamilton, and Assisi Animal Sanctuary, led by our Operations Director, Joanna Rakowski. This quarter, we are supporting Girlguiding Ulster, led by Roxy Thompson. Throughout December, in time for  Christmas, we have been organising donations to the Storehouse.

Awards and Recognition: Celebrating Our Collective Efforts

We were delighted to have been shortlisted for three prestigious awards: Excellence in Health and Wellbeing at the Belfast Telegraph Business Awards, Wellbeing at Work at the Business in the Community NI Responsible Business Awards, and Best Wellbeing in the Workplace Strategy (SME) at the Irish News Workplace and Employment Awards. Our success in securing these nominations is directly due to the commitment and dedication of our staff team in embracing the development of our Workplace Wellbeing Strategy – from Roxy taking on the role of Health Champion, and coordinating sessions across the year, to each and every member of staff who has participated in a session, suggested initiatives, or nominated a colleague for a legend award.

Additionally, Roxy represented us at the first Work Well Live Well Recognition Event on 26 November, where we received the NICHS and PHA Workplace Health and Wellbeing Recognition Award. Roxy is pictured above with the award. It was a proud moment for the entire team and a recognition of our collective efforts to build a healthier, happier workplace.

Looking Ahead: More Training and Sessions in 2025

As we look forward to 2025, we are already planning additional health-focused training sessions and initiatives to keep the momentum going. We are dedicated to ensuring that our workplace continues to evolve, with new opportunities for learning and wellbeing. The goal is to provide ongoing support to our team and help everyone navigate the challenges of maintaining good health, both physically and mentally.

So we would like to say thank you to our whole team for their dedication and we look forward to continuing our journey toward a healthier, more connected workplace in 2025.