Exeter property consultancy leads way in supporting staff wellbeing

An Exeter property consultancy is leading the way in supporting colleague wellbeing by building an integrated digital support programme.

Fisher German, which has an office in Exeter, has prioritised positive mental health and wellbeing in the workplace for a number of years, and has made significant investments in online resources since the start of the pandemic last year.

The firm has now gone a step further, launching a ‘Wellness Wednesdays’ initiative which offers all 600 colleagues across its offices the opportunity to focus on different aspects of their own personal and professional wellbeing each week.

This includes webinars and interactive workshops from experts covering topics including stress, financial wellbeing, coping with change and practical ways to look after wellbeing at home, as well as Q&A sessions with a registered dietician.

Health and fitness have also been prioritised, with a monthly online yoga class with instructor Lydia Paris and team walking challenges to encourage people to take a break away from their desks to exercise.

Colleagues have also been invited to sign up to a four-week programme, designed by Estelle Read at Beee, focused on personal and professional resilience, with one in 10 members of staff across the business taking part either live or by watching the recorded sessions at a time to suit them.

The news comes as Fisher German marks Time to Talk day, which encourages people to talk about mental health and is a key date for the firm after it pledged to become a Time to Change employer, tackling the stigma around mental health in the workplace and providing support to employees.

The firm will be encouraging colleagues to chat to each other online about anything from projects they are working on in the business to hobbies and how they are coping during the third lockdown.

Maria Hawley, HR director at Fisher German, said: “Promoting positive mental health and wellbeing has always been a key priority at Fisher German, but it’s clear that the third lockdown is taking its toll on people, so we want to do everything we can to support our colleagues, tackle burnout and bring variety to their workdays.

“While we’ve held support sessions throughout the pandemic, our Wellness Wednesday initiative demonstrates a commitment from our business leaders to put colleague wellbeing first, and give individuals the space and time each week to prioritise their needs.

“This could be through one of our online webinars or workshops or taking part in a team challenge which encourages everyone to get active.”

The firm has already injected funds into a variety of wellbeing resources, but has now made a commitment to continue this into the next financial year, and it will continue to hold monthly online yoga classes and workshops even when its offices are able to fully re-open.

Eleanor Saunders-Brant, communications manager at Fisher German, added: “We’ve kept the agenda diverse to ensure there is something that will interest people right across the business and we have already received a lot of positive feedback.

“Of course, we would prefer to see colleagues able to participate in these events face to face, but the pandemic has forced us to be creative and the result is that many of our programmes are now more accessible as a result.”