Jane Hunt, CEO at PR agency JBH: "Post-pandemic, JBH has faced numerous challenges in promoting employee well-being, particularly as we transitioned from remote to hybrid work models for the first time. Boundary setting has become crucial, especially in demanding PR roles. 

"Post-pandemic remote employees often struggled to disconnect from work, impacting their well-being; answering emails and checking for opportunities outside of working hours can contribute to burnout. To address this, we have implemented strict boundaries around out-of-hours work and directly intervened with employees, emphasising the importance of work-life balance. This includes encouraging employees to take proper lunch breaks away from their desks. To support overall well-being, we implemented an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to establish a broader support network which is crucial in a small business. 

"We organise in person events and networking opportunities to foster inter-team relationships and strengthen connections both crucial for wellbeing. These initiatives aim to create a supportive environment where employees can thrive both personally and professionally."

Nicola Carroll, head of culture at PR firm Speed: “Since Covid, we have implemented several programmes designed to further support our people’s wellbeing and encourage moments of togetherness. For example, every month we run a walking session around Bristol, alongside a monthly moment of mindfulness and meditation whether in the office or working from home through a guided session.

"We have also refreshed our development programme ‘Room 2 Grow’ by introducing a wellbeing objective and wellness action plan that line managers and reports work on together to ensure employees have the support they need to feel healthy and happy at work. 

"Since the pandemic, Speed has focused on providing a flexible workplace with a 40/60 ratio across office and home. To ensure we continue to provide the right kind of support to our Speedsters, it’s hugely important that they have open lines of communication when it comes to sharing feedback. It’s for this reason why we encourage open conversations with line managers, host monthly peer group forum sessions and gather anonymous feedback via annual surveys.”

Edward Clark, senior marketing director at PR agency Woodrow: "We run a core hours policy to offer more flexibility to our team, trusting people to structure their time to best suit them. Our resourcing meetings are closely focused on any potential overservicing and burnout amongst staff. Line managers are tasked with identifying anyone consistently working over their hours. We offer all the team (and their immediate family) access to a 24/7 counselling service, invested in training mental health first aiders, alongside seminars and events around mental health.

"We offer a paid self-care day and run quarterly well-being surveys to gauge areas for improvement. We offer 16 weeks fully paid parental leave for any team member becoming a parent, which can take be taken over two years, and three weeks’ paid leave as the result of a miscarriage, including subsequent medical appointments."

Grace French, director and head of culture at PR agency Stand: "Many employers are good at springing into action when someone experiences a mental health crisis. But you must also strive to reduce poor mental health triggers and empower employees to recognise the early signs, so support can be offered as early as possible. At Stand, we all have wellness action plans which reflect on what triggers poor mental health, and what support we would like, which empowers colleagues to look out for others’ wellbeing. You must also provide internal and external support. 

"Some prefer to speak to a manager (we have trained mental health first aiders and safeguarding officers), whereas others won’t want to involve colleagues. Both paths are valid. We provide access to a 24/7 confidential helpline for any challenges people may face. Wellbeing should be tracked and benchmarked. We do monthly ‘temperature checks’, asking colleagues how they’re feeling on a scale, then check in with any low scorers to agree on how we can support them. We also do quarterly benchmarking surveys against the wider industry. Although our most recent report showed our well-being scores are above the industry average, we never get complacent. There is always more to be done."

Kathryn Myers, partner and UK MD at PR firm Milk & Honey: "We take a multi-layered approach with policies and resources alongside less tangible aspects. We have a mental health first aider team who also help managers with one-to-one support and we offer comprehensive, free healthcare, with confidential access to specialist help. We encourage people to speak out; nurture a thriving social community; use fortnightly one-to-ones, mentoring and quarterly surveys to take a temperature on how people are feeling and see where we need to support people.  

"We have always operated a flexible hybrid working model with some of us working principally from home. Our London Hive works on a three days in the office baseline, but this is flexible according to need. Leave is flexible too, with a maximum leave allocation scrapped and replaced with a minimum — 25 days plus bank holidays. Staff can work with us to trade time as and when they need it. "

Erin Quinn, HR and people manager at PR firm Alfred London: "Our team's wellbeing is a priority for us and we take a personal approach to mental health. We balance policies with a supportive and open culture. Our team is trained to spot and address signs of poor mental health, but we know everyone’s different. We encourage personal wellness action plans to stay proactive rather than reactive and open up conversations, reducing stigma from day one. 

"We have an open-door policy with HR and our mental health first aiders. Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and private healthcare provider offers 24/7 counselling and face-to-face appointments, plus great incentives to keep everyone mentally and physically healthy. Our regular wellbeing sessions and webinars keep the conversation going, backed by our comprehensive mental health policy and resources for the team."