Promoting well-being via the net
Well-being at work is an issue that is on the table in many workplaces. It is a permanently topical issue that also has great social significance. Busy schedules and increasing demands, both at work and in people’s private lives, are taxing on employees. That is why pre-emptive work is so important in safeguarding our well-being.
Mehiläinen invests in the welfare of its personnel. In autumn 2006, it launched a two-year well-being project which is being implemented in co-operation with the pension insurance company Varma. The project will run until the end of 2008.
Kite - giving a lift to well-being
- The project aims to boost and improve the well-being of Mehiläinen’s employees. We want every individual employee to feel that Mehiläinen has a particular significance to them – be it a good, comfortable work atmosphere or development, safety and security or pride in your work and in your employer, says Anu Kolari, Human Resources Development Manager at Mehiläinen. She is responsible for the welfare project that has been named “Kite - Giving a Lift to Well-Being”.
Kite - Giving a Lift to Well-Being website
communicate welfare matters.
Welfare tips from the network service
The network service “Kite – Giving a Lift to Well-Being” that has been created in Mehiläinen’s intranet is a comprehensive website, concentrating on matters linked to well-being. It contains ideas, tips and information about both the project in particular and welfare in general. The website is used as a channel to communicate welfare matters to the entire staff of Mehiläinen.
- Workshops held by the Management Board and company managers are an integral part of the project. The workshops are used to discuss Mehiläinen’s company culture and chart its goals. Managers are encouraged to review the effectiveness of the work community and their own management style. Regional work welfare events are organised for personnel, and the company takes part in national physical exercise campaigns. We also try to identify in the different operating locations practices that support well-being and spread the practices more widely, says Anu Kolari.
- It was great to note that the old saying about taking coal to Newcastle does not always apply. The project was an exciting one, not least because of its important subject matter. An added, challenging dimension was the content sections, which we created in collaboration with the client. We even had some content left over, to use in future development work, says Prewise’s Project Director Leena Laaksonen.
The website comprises news, a discussion forum, a photo gallery, a monthly theme and sections giving information on things like food, exercise and health. There is also an electronic form that personnel can use to give tips and feedback concerning the future development of the site.
- The new network service was very enthusiastically received. We have had good feedback from personnel and Mehiläinen’s management alike. This constitutes a step in the right direction that will increase welfare, and as such it is a particularly important development. We, as an employer, are keen to enhance the welfare of a vital competitive factor – our personnel, Anu Kolari summarises.
Text: Leena Laaksonen