Improving mental wellbeing at dormakaba

Now that the spectre of lockdowns are firmly in our rear view mirror, a renewed focus has landed on mental wellbeing within the industry, and here at dormakaba is no different.

At dormakaba, with the help of our charity committee and senior management, we have introduced a number of initiatives which are aimed at creating a working environment where employees’ mental health and wellbeing is a primary concern.

Our new hybrid working scheme for example, where employees enjoy a combination of working from home and being office based, has been introduced to not only aid with productivity and creativity but also to help build a stronger team bond and remove the feeling of isolation working exclusively from home has the potential to bring. One of the great advantages when it comes to being back in the office for some of the week is that employees can make use of our newly arranged Wellness Room, where individuals are welcome to take a break in a peaceful environment should they need to.

We have also introduced employee engagement events, the first of which took place in the summer at our two head office locations where we hosted team building activities and provided refreshments for employees. This has since been followed by activities based around Halloween. All office based staff were encouraged to come as their scariest selves and take part in a number of events arranged across multiple sites. Fantastic engagement from all employees resulted in a real feeling of togetherness which has been proven to have a positive impact when it comes to our overall mental wellbeing.

Of course a healthy mind is helped considerably if we have a healthy body too. As such, we have teamed up with a local health club in order to offer employees in our Hitchin office the option of joining a free program of yoga classes or fitness sessions (or both for the more energetic!). These classes are offered to encourage all employees to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to take a little bit of time to make sure they are focusing on their own well-being. So far the take-up has been phenomenal.

As much as we have a truly dedicated workforce, we at dormakaba understand that taking time away from work is important when aiming to maintain good mental health. The annual leave purchase scheme we offer enables employees to purchase extra holiday in addition to their standard days. 

This proves to be very useful when coordinating half term and school holidays which can often prove to be a stressful experience for parents with kids at school. It is an initiative which shows appreciation to the fact that a recharge is often necessary for an employee to remain happy, both at work and at home.

In May of this year, we ran a number of events to align with Mental Health Awareness Week. We hosted a tea morning where colleagues were encouraged to discuss non work topics with each other, as well as streaming a webinar reminding all employees of the benefits and services available to them. We also had a resounding success with our day dedicated specifically to getting outdoors and in to nature.

This could have taken the shape of a walk at lunchtime, making a work call whilst outside, or simply taking five minutes out of the day to visit your garden. It was an idea designed to remind everyone that it is important to have regular breaks and to be mindful of mental well-being throughout the day. We finished the week with an all staff town hall where the focus was on how to maintain good mental health, and what options are available should someone be struggling.

Looking to the future, we have already earmarked May 2024 as a whole month dedicated to raising awareness on the importance of good mental wellbeing. We are looking at arranging a 5km run for employees to take part in and will encourage sponsorship with all collections going to our chosen mental health charity. We are also hosting an event with a guest speaker to visit one of our sites and discuss their battles with mental health, and how they came through it. All of our events and initiatives will be found on our social media channels throughout the year as we aim to continually raise awareness on the importance of mental wellbeing.

On the subject of how dormakaba prioritises the mental well-being of its employees, our Senior Vice President Paul Wright says; “The wellbeing of our staff at dormakaba has always been a key focus for us. We are delighted with the measures put in place recently which we feel empowers our employees to openly discuss any issues they may be experiencing and how they can seek help. Moving forward in to 2024, all of our members mental wellbeing will continue to be a priority for us.”