Health check: putting employee health at the forefront

Mental health and wellbeing continue to dominate the headlines, more so now than ever before considering the pressures faced by those who have been isolated and confined to their homes for months on end.

While support has been in place at most companies, the global pandemic has spurred gambling firms to extend these initiatives as the majority of the workforce continues to work remotely.

Gaming and sports betting firm Gaming1 conducted a staff survey with 220 HQ employees in Belgium on how staff had been coping at home. Six weeks into the lockdown, 65% had reported a positive outlook towards work rapport while 31% felt the lockdown had had a negative impact on their social outlook.

While 60% missed having the opportunity to better separate their work/private life, 42% appreciated having greater freedom to organise their free time. The majority of those surveyed felt the lockdown had a more positive effect on their ability to autonomously manage their tasks.

In terms of communication channels, Gaming1 staff have mostly used Microsoft Teams and Outlook, followed by Skype for Business and WhatsApp.

More than 80% of the team felt Gaming1 had done its best to support morale during the lockdown, citing Easter package deliveries as providing a much-needed boost and cherished gesture.

When asked about returning to the office, the principal concern was whether their colleagues would respect the correct social distancing measures. Other worries included having to wear a mask all day, the psychological impact of Covid-19 and childcare issues.

The majority felt that Gaming1 will take inspiration from the lessons of the crisis and will evolve/adapt its culture accordingly, with increased accountability and autonomy.

Hive of activity

For Kindred Group, mental health has always been top of the agenda both internally and externally. Before Covid-19 hit, the Stockholm-listed operator already had a strong network of Mental Health First Aiders. During the pandemic Kindred increased the number of people trained in this valuable skill. “We also ran social workshops on how to manage your own mental health. Employees who attended these workshops really appreciated the opportunity to get together and openly discuss their experiences,” explains Suzi Read, head of talent development at Kindred Group.

To find out how its staff were coping during lockdown, Kindred replaced its usual engagement survey with one on remote working. The outcome of the survey was that overall engagement was strong but people were concerned about the health of their families, friends and colleagues. To address this, the company created The Kindred Hive, a framework of activities and events for people to come together to learn, grow and support each other.

The Kindred Hive is built around a core of social learning workshops, also supported with bitesize remote coaching sessions, Hive networks include solo workers, parents, LGBTQ+ and allies, ethnic minorities and allies, and mindfulness sessions. “Our local employee engagement groups also joined forces to deliver activities on a global scale with a focus on mental wellbeing – from free virtual gym classes to advice sessions for parents. So, everyone is now contributing to the Hive,” explains Read.

During the first week of lockdown, Kindred Group designed and launched two new virtual workshops: ‘working from home’ and ‘managing remotely’ which proved popular in the early weeks. This approach subsequently evolved into core social learning sessions within Kindred Hive focusing around building coping strategies, living a fulfilled life during lockdown and how to support others through remote coaching.

“I am blown away at how brilliantly everyone at Kindred has adapted to this challenge and supported each other every step of the way. It’s humbling to see how our core value – Individuals United – has been even more visible throughout these truly testing times,” says Read.

Morale boost

International operator Parimatch, which has teams spread across different regions globally, had to mobilise and adapt quickly during lockdown so that their staff could do their jobs effectively and comfortably from home while also supporting those who needed to go into the office.

“Our Talent team sent all the necessary office equipment directly to those working from home, and we immediately introduced support schemes for those working in the office; contributing to taxi costs, providing free meals and supplying PPE,” explains Tatyana Davydova, chief HR officer, Parimatch.

Tatyana Davydova, chief HR officer, Parimatch

For those who needed to get to the office but couldn’t reach it, Parimatch launched an app called Joint Trip to help connect colleagues that had a car with those who needed a ride. Offices stayed open for any employees that needed it. Every office was cleaned twice a day, and personal protection equipment was supplied (masks, sanitisers, space and temperature measurement equipment).

The operator knew that communication was key to maintaining morale so it put a number of initiatives in place to promote close communication with staff. “We launched virtual town halls, hosted by our CEO Sergey Portnov, to create a forum for open discussion and for employees to ask questions. We also introduced a video series where employees shared their working from home experience,” she adds.

In April, Parimatch shifted its annual internal event, PM:GO, to a virtual format with the added challenge of creating an online livestreamed event. “We managed to create a socially distanced TV studio environment to broadcast presentations from our top managers to over 250 employees. Dedicating a day to a company-wide event to reflect on the past year’s successes and learnings was a real morale boost and brought the business together,” Davydova remarks.

For those staff that needed emotional support, Parimatch organised six online Zoom webinars with a psychologist. Every Monday at 1pm there was an hour-long session with a doctor on how to deal with stress. Staff were able to ask questions, share their problems and receive advice.

On the social side, Parimatch also hosted a PM Sport Challenge. Within a two-week period, staff had to complete workouts every day for 40 minutes and share a video or photo with their colleagues with prizes for those who completed the challenge.

The operator also runs a regular Product Pizza Club, where employees gather to discuss and introduce new features to a product. During lockdown this was made virtual and pizza was delivered to each participant’s house.

Home entertainment

Manchester-based development agency Degree 53 and gambling tech start-up company Sharp Gaming have been organising weekly and monthly remote social events to keep their teams connected. Weekly contests have included rate my Lunch and Funny Pet Pic competitions.

“One of the highlights has been re-enacting famous movie scenes and we have some excellent talent in that area,” says Jenny Winter, marketing manager for Degree 53. “It’s been a lot of fun and has cheered people up. We’ve been having after work drinks over Zoom every Friday. For monthly socials, we’ve been organising team drinks, an online poker tournament and recently a pub quiz too. We also did a 500km challenge to raise funds for NHS Charities Together, and getting people involved, exercising and working together to achieve a goal was just as important. We hope these events bring our teams together and make working from home more enjoyable.”

The firms have increased the frequency of team catch ups to make sure everyone is kept in the loop on the latest developments, sharing demos and project news. To keep morale up, Degree 53 and Sharp Gaming managers have been checking in on team members with regular calls and chats just to see how everyone is doing and whether they have any concerns. “During Mental Health Awareness Week, we shared lots of useful tips and information about mental health support, including practical information and resources for further help. We always encourage our team members to reach out to each other or their managers if they need to have a chat,” says Winter.

In addition to the employee of the month scheme, Degree 53 has introduced a weekly team recognition scheme so everyone in the business is aware of what other departments have been doing. As a personal gesture, the managing director has also sent out small packages with Degree 53 merchandise and a handwritten note thanking staff for their hard work.