At Mars we take associate health and wellbeing seriously and offer a range of initiatives across our UK sites. These range from on-site Occupational Health Services through to the provision of Wellbeing programmes.
Mars is conscious of the problems that poor lifestyles can have not only to our associates, but also to their family and friends and the wider population. Ultimately, improving health and productivity, associate engagement and decreasing costs associated with ill health are the key business benefits of an integrated wellness/occupational health programme.
Winning With Wellness
The truth is good health is good business. Studies have shown the importance of healthy lifestyles in relation to productivity and sickness absence. Mars recognises that a healthy, committed workforce is vital to business success. Investing in those elements that drive the engagement and wellbeing of associates will fundamentally drive the business and the bottom line. Our in house wellbeing programme is called Winning With Wellness.
The broad aim of the Winning With Wellness programme is to provide opportunities for all associates to be informed about their health and well-being and be able to make choices to live healthier lives. The programme covers a variety of topics within the healthy lifestyle area. These include stopping smoking, stress management, physical activity and diet and nutrition.
Read on for some examples of initiatives offered within these topic areas:
Stress Management (including other mental health issues)
Associate Assistance Programme
24 counselling service available over the phone for associates and their families living at the same address
Cognitive behavioural therapy (by in-house trained occupational health nurses)
GALAXY Room: available on one of our sites, a relaxing room which offers self-help guides on various mental health issues
Massages offered throughout the year, mostly during our 'wellness weeks' throughout all sites
Diet and Nutrition
Weight loss competitions/programmes: this includes team and individual competitions, where support is available through either dietetic support and/or leaflets
Healthy Eating: working with our on-site cafeterias to improve the range and quality of healthy meal options and some sites also offer monthly healthy eating subsidised offers
Internal website offering nutrition and exercise advice
Physical Activity
Onsite gym/exercise facilities: many of our sites offer either an on-site gym, or/and exercise classes ranging from tai chi to boxercise
Lunchtime walks
Corporate Gym Memberships: a variety of local and national corporate memberships have been set up with major health club chains
Smoking Cessation
Wellness Champions
Wellness Champions are associates who volunteer to help with the Winning With Wellness programme.
Each wellness champion has responsibility for a particular focus lifestyle area. The champions are trained in various formats including seminars, 1:1 training and shadowing. They also have the opportunity to complete Level 2 Health Improvement RIPH. Wellness Champions are ambassadors for the project and help to plan and deliver various interventions. For example champions have organised and delivered in house weight management programmes, men’s/women’s health weeks and 1:1 stop smoking sessions. Champions help to motivate the workforce and are the driving force for any workplace health project. We have a strong network of champions at one of our sites and are rolling out the champion programme to all other sites.
Occupational Health
Occupational Health Managers are available on all sites. The focus of the role is to ensure a positive interface between work and health for associates and vice versa together with a healthy work-life balance.
Our Vision for Occupational Health is to seek: 'Optimal health for all Mars Associates'. The protection and promotion of associate health is of mutual benefit to the company and the associate.
Occupational Health's role includes:
- Assessing associate health and advising on fitness and ability to work
- Facilitating return to work/ rehabilitation for ill or injured associates
Advising on job and workplace design
Identifying work related health hazards and supporting control measures to protect health
Analysing and reporting health performance results and recommending appropriate interventions
Promoting associate physical and psychological health through “wellness programmes’’, private health care specialist referrals and our associate assistance programme