IPA Guide Outlines 10 Core Provisions to Support Employees’ Mental Health and Wellbeing

The IPA has launched a new report showcasing the 10 core ways that companies are supporting the mental health and wellbeing of their people.

The guide, Game-changing ideas for people’s wellbeing, is born of IPA president Josh Krichefski’s People First agenda, and draws on the findings of the 100-plus companies that have successfully acquired their IPA People First Promise badge of honour for demonstrating their commitment to their people’s mental health and wellbeing.

The 10 core principles for supporting employee mental health – common to the People First Promise badge holders - are:

• Mental-health support: This includes employee assistance programmes (EAPs), mental-health first aiders and platforms such as Self Space and Spill that offer therapy sessions and resources for mental wellbeing.
• Physical wellbeing initiatives: These include offering free or discounted gym memberships, organising fitness classes and promoting activities such as walking meetings and sports teams.
• Inclusive workplace policies: This involves implementing policies to support diverse needs, including flexible-working arrangements, menopause and menstruation support, and family-friendly policies.
• Employee resource groups (ERGs): This includes providing support and networking opportunities for employees from diverse backgrounds.
• Continuous professional development (CPD): This comprises training programmes, certifications and workshops tailored to different career levels and roles.
• Feedback and engagement surveys: This involves regular employee engagement surveys and feedback mechanisms to help organisations monitor workplace wellbeing and make necessary adjustments.
• Flexible working and leave policies: This includes providing flexible working arrangements, enhanced maternity and paternity leave, and additional leave options, such as sabbaticals and wellbeing days, are common practices to support work-life balance.
• Support for parents and carers: This involves the provision of specific support for parents and carers, including flexible working hours, parental leave policies and dedicated support groups.
• Financial wellbeing: This involves supplying financial advice sessions, budgeting tools and support for managing financial stress.
• Promoting a positive and inclusive culture: This includes organising social events, celebrating diversity and ensuring open communication within the organisation.

Game-changing ideas for people’s wellbeing also features detailed case studies from 13 agencies and media owners, showcasing their specific internal policies, initiatives, support and culture and the benefit of these on both their employees and the companies themselves.

Josh Krichefski, CEO, GroupM EMEA and IPA president said,“This guide not only celebrates the great work that companies are doing with regard to their people’s mental health and wellbeing, but crucially it provides a useful checklist or starter for 10 for those companies who are not as far down the journey and for whom this could provide new and fresh ideas to help them and their people. I am so proud of the 109 companies who have acquired their People First Promise badge of honour and also incredibly grateful to those that have shared their initiatives for others to learn from. In doing so they are enhancing the working lives of everyone in the industry.”

Commenting, IPA director of diversity, Leila Siddiqi said, “If there was ever a time to double down on efforts around mental health and wellbeing, it is now. Josh’s People First agenda provides a tangible action plan to help the industry navigate the most complex workplace scenarios, structures and tense conversations against a volatile and challenging economic and global climate. The world class creativity that makes UK advertising so special will blossom best if it is coming from space of people feeling healthy, safe and valued.”

Download Game-changing ideas for people’s wellbeing from the IPA website.