A toolkit on the wellbeing principles was distributed to all local operating companies in 2007/08. The toolkit explains the importance of employee wellbeing to Vodafone and our target for employees to feel they work in a stimulating and safe environment, knowing Vodafone cares about their wellbeing, and supports them in developing a healthy lifestyle. It describes our approach to ensure wellbeing is enhanced and maintained, from supporting employees with stress and facing difficult customers, to managing a healthy diet.
The toolkit provides tips on steps employees can take to improve their own wellbeing, with reminders to set up workstations properly, follow advice on safe driving, and limit stress through clear goal setting and good time management. It also advises managers on how to promote the wellbeing of their staff.
We track data on absence due to sickness to help us measure the effectiveness of our wellbeing initiatives. See performance 2007/08.
Local wellbeing initiatives
Our operating companies run initiatives to improve the wellbeing of our employees. For example:
- Vodafone New Zealand launched its WAVE (wellbeing, attitude, vitality, energy) programme in 2006. WAVE encourages employees to make lifestyle choices that bring benefits for their physical and mental wellbeing. It provides information to all employees via the intranet so they can access the programme whenever they feel the need.
- Vodafone UK published a policy on Stress Assessment and Management in the UK in December 2007. The Vodafone People Survey is used to monitor stress levels and a ‘pressure index’ helps measure the impact of stress on the business. Vodafone UK is also developing an e-learning package to help employees manage stress.
- Vodafone Netherlands offers a 24-hour support service for employees who have experienced aggressive, violent or intimidating encounters with customers. Support is provided in-person or by telephone within two hours of an incident, followed by appointments with an expert.
- Vodafone Germany headquarters operates an employee crèche to provide parents with high quality childcare at reasonable cost during working hours.
- Vodafone Greece launched a programme in 2008 to raise awareness about health, safety and wellbeing, and introduced a new policy to discourage people from smoking at work. The programme provides medical check-ups and counselling and encourages participation in team sports to ensure good physical and mental health. Vodafone Greece has also introduced flexible working and added two months to its maternity leave package.
- Vodafone Portugal’s programme to improve employee wellbeing by promoting healthy lifestyles includes raising awareness of issues such as healthy eating, stress management and the risks associated with smoking. Free health checks are also provided to monitor basic health indicators including cholesterol, blood pressure and heart rate. The No Smoker Programme offers advice and professional counselling to help employees who want to quit smoking.
- Vodafone Ireland’s wellbeing programme – launched in 2006 – is designed 'to make people feel great at work'. The programme provides free online health checks and encourages employees to lead a healthier lifestyle. Health and fitness fairs provide information, products and services to help people understand and take steps to improve their health.
Flexible working spaces
Flexible working helps employees to successfully balance their work and family commitments. Our ‘SMART’ flexible working initiatives are managed locally by our operating companies. For example:
- Flexible working was introduced in Vodafone UK headquarters and other offices in Newbury, UK, with a mixture of allocated and unallocated desks, informal collaborative areas and sofas in break out spaces. This enables employees to choose where they work, whether they work mainly in the office, mainly from home, or a combination of the two. Financial support of up to £250 is provided for home workers to buy appropriate workstation equipment, along with information about comfortable home working, and risk assessments to make sure their health and safety requirements are met.
- Vodafone New Zealand’s new headquarters building is designed to provide flexible working space, influenced by employees’ opinions on layout, lighting and working habits. It includes a mixture of fixed desks for people mainly based in the office, unallocated desks for employees who are often out of the office or work mainly from home, and informal meeting areas. Employees are encouraged to work from different parts of the building – each time they work in a different area they obtain stamps in a ‘passport’ that qualify them for a prize draw. The new flexible working space has helped improve employee engagement with better collaboration and morale among staff.
- The transition to more flexible working has also been successful in the Netherlands, where job-sharing and home-working is common. The new layout includes much more meeting space than before, leading to better collaboration within and between teams.
- Vodafone Australia has also created new offices with fewer desks than employees, designed to encourage employees to work from home or work flexible hours. This system enables people to adapt their working life to suit their home life. Flexible work spaces also encourage more spontaneous meetings and better engagement between colleagues.
