Welsh PR agency Effective Communication has engaged ION Corporate Wellness to offer health and wellbeing support to the team as the company continues to prioritise its wellbeing agenda.
Effective Communication, which has a presence in Wales and the south west of England, supports organisations with PR, digital and video expertise. After a period of consultation with staff, the company decided to switch to a full-time homeworking model in 2022.
After making such a significant change, Effective partnered with ION who will be providing wellbeing support to the team and individuals, covering not just physical exercise but sleep, nutrition and mindfulness, to ensure that the team still feels supported even while working remotely.
ION Corporate Wellness was established by former Cardiff Blues and Wales rugby player Robin Sowden-Taylor in 2020 in response to the changing needs of businesses who have realised that a well workforce is a productive workforce. ION helps support busy individuals form healthier habits through applied health and wellness solutions.
Alastair Milburn, managing director of Effective Communication said: “We have seen some big changes in the way we work since 2020, none of them more significant than our switch to homeworking.
“As part of our journey to ensure that everyone is thriving, we have looked at numerous ways of ensuring our staff feel supported and engaged.
“The arrangement we have with Robin and ION is a way of embracing our new model of working and giving staff the tools they need to feel happy and healthy. So far, it has really helped with employee engagement.
“As well as partnering with ION we have introduced a wellbeing hour, an hour available to each team member every week that they can use to focus on activities for their own mental and physical wellbeing. Whether that is going for a walk, attending a class or spending time on a hobby, they are free to use the time as they see fit and there is no requirement to work it back.”
Robin, who is currently part of the Wales Strength and Conditioning team preparing for the Rugby World Cup in France this September, said: “The world of work has changed so much over the last few years and it’s great to see businesses like Effective looking at new, innovative ways of engaging with staff and ensuring that they are prioritising their physical and mental wellbeing.
“The correlation between health and performance is constantly overlooked and undervalued. We want to help businesses and employees understand how to implement actionable, non-time-consuming, simple changes that enhance productivity and quality of life in and out of the workplace, to help them thrive in the ‘new normal’.”
