Recast: National Stress Awareness Month

April heralds the beginning of Spring, along with an improvement (fingers crossed) in the weather, and a lovely long stretch in daylight hours. All factors I find personally really beneficial and uplifting, especially after what seemed like a particularly long and challenging winter. April also marks National Stress Awareness Month, a movement created in 1992 to raise awareness of the causes and cures of the modern stress epidemic, and as such I’d like to reflect on the human-centred approach we’ve adopted at Recast, accompanied by our ongoing efforts to support our team’s wellbeing.?

At Recast we haven’t adopted a ‘one size fits all’ approach to maintaining our team’s wellbeing - the distinctiveness of our team is a huge strength, something we are proud to celebrate, harness and support, not to confine with restrictive working practices and policies. That being said, we are not claiming to have got everything right on this, but our long term commitment to doing so is steadfast. As we continue to grow as a company, so too will our team and our learnings on how best to reduce stress in our working environment.??

Start-ups are well known for being creative, informally structured and fast-paced places to work. Whilst these descriptors draw many in, they can also present a challenge. It’s important to acknowledge that stress manifests and presents itself differently for everyone. And whilst work may not seem stressful, extenuating factors can have their part to play as everyone’s situation is unique. Investing in, and promoting, overall wellbeing with a holistic approach for each member of our team is critical - arguably more so now than ever, following two of the most challenging, stressful and isolating years we’ve all ever experienced due to the pandemic.?

?Any leader of a company would be lying if they said they didn’t want the best from their team, but how can they expect that output if they don’t do what’s best for team members? As Richard Branson has famously quoted - “Take care of your employees and they will take care of your business. It’s as simple as that.” But what does taking care of your team members actually entail in practice?

?At Recast, team wellbeing plays a pivotal role in how we operate. It’s pivotal not only from a human perspective - it being the right thing to do - alongside it being an employer's responsibility, but we also have the understanding that a stressed team will simply not deliver what’s required to make Recast successful.

Having buy-in from senior leadership is also fundamental to promoting the importance of wellbeing and, with that in mind, having a management team that’s able to spot the signs if one of their team members is struggling is integral to being able to provide the support our team needs.

To help facilitate this, Recast has introduced a number of initiatives to aid the overall wellbeing of our team and hopefully as a result, diminish stress:

Flexi/hybrid working: We’re not a company who has moved to 100% remote working. Some may find that odd given that we’re a tech company but, whilst Covid has resulted in an increase in remote working, we see real value in bringing our team together, while also providing a flexible home working model. By adopting a hybrid approach, everyone can choose to split their time between the office and home in a way which works for them, but by holding regular team catch ups we can retain our sense of community.????

The importance of human interaction has never been more paramount. In a study of more than 50,000 U.K. adults, having poor social support was associated with severe depressive symptoms (World Happiness Report, March 2021). Having a sense of community is fundamental to feeling like you belong and have a support network. The physical workplace provides a vital sense of community because we all share something in common; the company we work for and the goals of our individual teams.?

For some, the need for community may be felt more acutely but it should not be overlooked that home working has led to increased isolation and loneliness and from an employers perspective, it is crucial to provide the support system that many may depend and rely on.

We have a less restrictive approach to working hours, in that we ask people to be available between core hours, with additional hours being made up outside this timeframe. Not everyone works best first thing in the morning and some have preference for the peace and quiet that working in the evening can bring. Providing flexibility for our team to manage their own time enables them to work when they’re most productive and feel most satisfied with their output.

Our hybrid work approach of home and office enables face-to-face contact with colleagues (building the community in the office), alongside some quieter home time, free of office distraction and time spent commuting.?

?Employee Assistance Program: We’ve partnered with employee insurance provider, Yulife. The program offers a range of life enhancing employee benefits, including providing peace of mind for our team that their loved ones would be looked after should anything happen to them. Alongside the insurance package, each team member has access to a hub providing links to clinical counselling, legal and financial support and career/life coaching. It’s a completely confidential relationship between the team member and Yulife, so no one at work needs to know they’re reaching out for assistance. Whilst we very much strive to maintain a culture that is free for people to talk openly, we appreciate people may not want to share everything with work colleagues. By providing the team with access to an anonymous support function, it can hopefully minimise barriers to people seeking advice and support.

?Free Calm Subscription: Calm, the meditation and wellbeing app is provided free to all team members. In a world where we are constantly switched on, we absolutely recognise the importance of taking time to switch off. From meditation, to sleep stories, to tailored relaxation music, we felt it beneficial that our team have access to a platform that lets them escape the day-to-day ‘noise’ if they feel they need to.

?Unlimited holiday: We have a contractual allowance, over the statutory minimum, because we believe our team deserves it. On top of that, we also have a verbal agreement that our team can take more holiday should they need it because we don’t want anyone to have to miss out on important life events and opportunities.?

?Compassionate paid leave: We believe that you shouldn't take a holiday day if it’s not a holiday. Compassionate leave is there for our team when they are feeling overwhelmed or in the event of a bereavement. It’s there for the hard days (which we’ll all experience at one point or another), there for the breakups, there for the days when you’re not ‘sick’ as such but just need some time out. Knowing that your employer will support you when you’re going through a difficult time can alleviate stress that could otherwise spiral.

Charitable giving days: We recognise the importance of giving back, and the positive impact it can have on our employees and our wider community. We’ve allocated two days per year, which can be taken in addition to holidays, for employees to do something that helps make a difference, be that volunteering or giving blood, the positive benefits in contributing to a cause which is important to you, helps bring about a greater sense of wellbeing. ? ?

?At Recast, we understand that day to day pressures of our modern world are not conducive to a stress-free life. At the end of the day, we will not be able to take stressors away completely for our team but we do hope that we’re able to provide them with the community and tools that enable them to manage their overall wellbeing.?