EDAM Group, the UK’s specialist provider of credit hire and post-accident services, has launched an industry-first wellbeing initiative to encourage better mental health among its staff.
‘Minding EDAM’ is a company-wide programme tailored towards improving mind, body and soul in the workplace and all team members are encouraged to opt in.
Daily activities form part of a thoughtfully considered calendar of mood lifting events and workshops created in response to feedback from the EDAM team after an in-house survey and Best Companies questionnaire.
The sessions include Pilates and lunch-time meditation, cycling, monthly netball and fitness classes, as well as a popular Media Club with increasing membership, Jigsaw Corner, Mindful Colouring area and a ‘Chatty Natter’ conversation table. The company also posts weekly brain-teasers to keep staff on their toes and rewards the winner with a prize.
Creating a nurturing environment for staff to thrive in is key to upholding EDAM’s core values of innovation, respect, integrity, passion and fun as one team while also ensuring its market-leading levels of customer service for which the company is renowned.
‘Minding EDAM’ aims to promote a caring workplace culture with its foundations firmly rooted in the overall wellbeing of each individual, with a special emphasis on mental health. As a business which sees its staff dealing with motorists at a potentially distressing time, EDAM places the utmost importance on the new scheme to ensure those handling calls are best placed to help customers, as well as themselves, remain calm.
The company has also recruited six dedicated employee volunteers to operate as ‘Mental Health First Aiders’ in a bid to encourage an open and honest culture across its Head Office and depots, with a focus on the support of its staff. Partnering with local mental health charity; Manchester MIND helped deliver training for those in management positions alongside personal resilience guidance for the entire EDAM team.
Steve Turner, CEO of EDAM Group, said, “The benefits of continual learning and development create an overwhelmingly positive impact, for the individual, for the team and for the business overall. We are delighted to create a permanent place for the programme within the company as we continually work to reinforce our commitment to our people and their wellbeing.”
The company trialled the Minding EDAM campaign during this year’s Learning At Work Week in May, which also coincided with Mental Health Awareness Week and has pledged to continue its mindful approach to the office environment due to the overwhelming uptake from employees. The results speak for themselves as team members have reported better sleep, weight loss and increased empathy thanks to the training and ongoing programmes.
The company’s commitment to investing in its team members is at the heart of all EDAM does as it continues to offer an inspiring work environment backed up by state of the art facilities. Providing new and exciting opportunities for growth and development ensures staff are happy and fulfilled in their roles as market leading service providers who are passionate about what they do.
EDAM Group was recently listed in The Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to work for in the UK, also gaining two star accreditation from Best Companies; testament to its ongoing efforts to maintain a stimulating workplace with a positive culture. Not only that but the company also won ‘Silver’ in the ‘Employee Engagement, Learning and Development’ category in recognition of its excellent employee reward, retention and support measures it puts in place to help maintain a happy and productive workforce, in this year’s UK Employee Experience Awards.
