Constructing good wellbeing at work

Today, wellbeing is more than just a physical issue. Mental health and work-related stress has a significant impact on engagement both in the UK and on a global scale. Construction and infrastructure company, Lendlease’s HR Director, Lisa White will be speaking at the HRD Summit in February about their wellbeing strategy and how to embed a culture of support, protection, and openness.

What was your previous approach wellbeing, and how has this changed as a business initiative? 

Safety is the number one priority for Lendlease, sending people who work in our offices and sites safely home to loved ones every day. This is fundamental to who we are as a business. The focus on health came about through work completed on our culture back in 2013 and a desire to drive a culture of care.

What were the key issues you were hoping to address?

The biggest killer on construction sites is not workplace accidents as you would expect, it’s actually suicides. Mental health is not a natural topic of conversation among young men, so it was important to broaden awareness through conversations and creating a higher profile of the topic.

What are the common misperceptions around wellbeing and how are you resolving them?

Wellbeing cannot be owned solely by the organisation. It has to be a joint journey of providing frameworks and infrastructure whilst promoting awareness for employees to take individual responsibility. We are taking a systems approach to our design and interventions.

“Mental health is not a natural topic of conversation among young men, so it was important to broaden awareness through conversations” – Lisa White

How can a keen interest in the wellbeing of employees benefit the whole business?

With the rapid change in the workplace and technology there needs to a constant focus on the mentality of the employees. Supporting them is paramount to productivity and business success.

How would define success for your efforts in this area?

By what our people say and ultimately our productivity and business results.