Have your say: How is your business supporting staff on R U OK Day?

Businesses across the country are asking workers R U OK? Some are giving their workers the afternoon off, others are providing motivational talks.

In recognition, and emphasis, of prioritising mental health, the LJ Hooker Group teams will be given the afternoon off to focus on themselves and take some time out.

The LJ Hooker Group teams, including technology, marketing, network performance, customer support and finance, support LJ Hooker’s network of offices around Australia and New Zealand, and its direct agents who operate under the LJ Hooker Connect model and Atlas by LJ Hooker brand.

Ruth Trewhella, Chief Operations Officer of the LJ Hooker Group, said every team member had, at some point, been working in lockdown conditions during the past 18 months.

“Currently, we have about 90 per cent of our team working through lockdown as they’re located across New South Wales or Victoria.

“It gets tiring; we’ve all felt it, and we want to do everything we can to support our employee’s wellbeing by taking proactive steps to help them through the challenges of Covid-19.

“R U Ok? Day is an opportunity for our employees to take a moment to check-in with themselves and/or someone else. We believe it’s important that our people are given a chance to switch off and remove some of the added stress of working in these trying circumstances.

“And this goes hand-in-hand with our Employee Assistance Program and Corporate Wellness Program, which we recently launched as our teams go in and out of lockdown, to offer more support to our employees and their families,” Ms Trewhella said.

To support individuals, the LJ Hooker Group’s Corporate Wellness Program focuses on four pillars: routine, creativity, exercise and connection. While its Employee Assistance Program offers a holistic support service.

“The group is committed to offering flexible working options and resources for our people, with a focus on physical and mental wellbeing.

“Our Corporate Wellness Program aims to help employees to adopt behaviours that improve their physical and mental health to create a happier, healthier workforce.

“Through the program, employees can access educational webinars, various online classes, personal and professional podcasts, and workplace community-building activities.

“We are doing this by engaging small business owners from across our communities, who have been greatly affected by Covid-19, to not only offer a quality program but also to show our support for those businesses and lend a hand in difficult times.

“Our Employee Assistance Program has been designed to provide the right support for the different and changing needs of each of our employees via confidential counselling to assist in resolving personal and work-based issues.

“With so much uncertainty experienced over the last 18 months, supporting employees, promoting work-life balance, increasing employee engagement and health, and prioritising personal and professional development have been key priorities for us at the LJ Hooker Group; and it will continue to be so going forward,” concluded Ms Trewhella.

If you are unsure of how to ask your workers how they are R U OK download the R U OK workplace guide.

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