We all know we need to nurture our mental health‚ especially in the workplace. But in today’s fast-paced world‚ our emotional wellbeing is all too easy to neglect.
Our team’s mental health and wellbeing is incredibly important to us. We want our employees to feel that they can be their authentic selves and thrive in their career‚ which is why we offer access to a range of great resources to help them remain happy and healthy during their time with us.
If you’re thinking about kick-starting a career at hedgehog lab or launching a mental health initiative at your organisation‚ then continue reading to discover what mental health initiatives we have in place and how we’ve created a company culture that supports its employees’ wellbeing.
Flexible working.
The hedgehog lab workplace culture is built on trust and autonomy. We want our staff to be happy and relaxed when working for us and recognise that all our employees have different needs that can change in an instant. This is why we embrace a flexible working environment.
While our office is based in Newcastle‚ the last 18 months have shown us all the importance of working from home. Our team worked flexibly both before and throughout the pandemic – and they continue to do so today. From our own experiences with working from home‚ we’ve found that flexible working:
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Increases staff motivation
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Reduces stress levels
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Improves performance and productivity
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Results in better staff retention
We also offer flexible working hours and part-time contracts that fit around our teams busy lifestyles and schedules. Because of our approach to flexible working‚ we’re proud to have become an accredited Flexified Employer with Flexa – a platform that helps people find truly flexible jobs.
And not only does flexible working have a wealth of benefits for our team’s mental health‚ but it enables us to employ top talent from all over the UK and further afield‚ ensuring we stay ranked #1 in the world for mobile app development.
Wellbeing benefits.
Life can often feel overwhelming‚ which is why it’s so important that we all take some time out to recharge and reset our batteries. As well as offering paid sick leave and unlimited holiday‚ we give all of our team two paid wellbeing days they can take at any time throughout the year. Some of our team shared with us what they have used their wellbeing days for in 2021 which has included:
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Taking a road trip to see friends and family
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Going on a long bike ride in the countryside
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Ticking off important things on their life admin list
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Having a digital detox
That’s not all‚ as we also offer staff a yearly budget of £100 to spend on things that make them feel good. This could be a set of kettlebells for their home gym‚ AirPods to listen to their favourite music‚ or a spa day for a spot of rest and relaxation.
We asked David Scott (he/him)‚ our User Experience Researcher‚ how he spent his wellbeing budget this year:
“It’s been a tough few years for everyone‚ so I’ve definitely taken advantage of the hedgehog lab wellbeing benefits. The personal wellbeing budget has paid for my new running trainers‚ which has got the endorphins going and kept me sane! And during the second lockdown‚ which felt like forever‚ I took advantage of the free online therapist service – Spill. Talking to a member of the team really helped to get some outside perspective.”
Spill wellbeing service.
We’re dedicated to supporting our staff’s wellbeing as much as we can. That’s why we’ve partnered with wellbeing service Spill‚ a Slack-integrated online therapy app designed to reduce burnout and boost morale. Every employee has access to the app and can use it to:
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Ask a therapist a one-off question
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Book in for a single face-to-face or telephone session with a therapist
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Book a course of six counselling sessions
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Gain access to a vast library of online resources‚ including online webinars
The app is completely confidential to use‚ providing you with the support you need when you need it the most.
Thanks to our mental health and wellbeing initiatives‚ 91% of our team said we were a great place to work‚ and we’re proud to have been shortlisted as a top tech employer.
Find out more.
If you’d like to be a part of our fantastic team‚ browse our open vacancies to see if we have the perfect role for you. To learn more about the culture at hedgehog lab why not read our blog post on how we support our team’s professional development.
