The Shift Towards Wellbeing

Today, many people actively seek workplaces that reflect their values, where they feel they belong. As new generations move into the workplace, people want to feel their work is meaningful, and they are working for an organisation who see the bigger picture. People want to give back and feel they work for a brand who does the same – candidates coming to interview now are not just asking about the salary and benefits, they’re asking what the employer does to support colleagues, what their inclusion strategies are, what do they do to improve their local community, offset their environmental impacts and so on.

In tandem with all of this, conversations around mental health have become more open in society as a whole. While we still have a long way to go, mental health is now discussed more openly and is less of a taboo topic. This led to a huge change in the world of corporate wellbeing. People don’t leave their personal challenges at the door anymore – they bring their home life into work, and their work into their homes.

And that home/work blend became a major turning point during Covid. Aside from the obvious health concerns that arose, many people were suddenly expected to open the doors to their homes to their colleagues. We saw people talking openly about the impacts of social isolation, loneliness, family challenges, restrictions not allowing them to keep their usual fitness routines, and so on. Conversations began around the change they noticed when working from home – for good and for bad. It blurred the lines between home and work life. Simultaneously, many people had to take time out of work because their role was on pause as businesses closed during lockdown, or, they had to continue to work on the front line, a daunting thing for many.

So, as time has moved and all these factors have crept in, wellbeing is no longer a “nice to have.” Employers have a duty of care to their employees, or colleagues, as we call each other at Primark. And, with that, comes our business case for wellbeing.

Why This Excites Me

The most exciting part is seeing wellbeing move from being seen as optional, a benefit, even “fluffy” to being a key part of every business strategy. It’s here to stay and that’s good news for colleagues (and businesses!) everywhere.

If an employer looks after their employee, the employee looks after their business. What we invest in colleague wellbeing, engagement and inclusion will be paid back in the form of a happier and more engaged community of colleagues who are proud of our business, our brand and who look after our community of customers.

How My Role Has Evolved

My own journey reflects this change. Recently, I’ve moved from the Benefits and Wellbeing team and into the world of Inclusion and Community Impact, a newly formed team that brings together Inclusion, Belonging, Charity Partnerships and Wellbeing. We know that the more inclusive we are as an organisation, and the more people can bring their best selves to work, the happier and healthier they will be. So, the strategies of wellbeing, inclusion and community work are all interwoven and we’re working together more cohesively to achieve our shared goals. The business support of this, reinforced by the Primark values of Caring, Dynamic and Together, demonstrate that Primark take this seriously – we may have low prices, but we do not have low standards.

While we have achieved a lot in the wellbeing space, we still have much more to do.
At Primark, we recognise our colleagues are a community in themselves - and supporting that community is just as important as supporting the customers we serve and the communities we operate in.

What We're Doing At Primark

Our “Spark” Wellbeing Strategy was reviewed recently. We conducted listening exercises with colleagues across the business from depot to store to office, in many countries. We talked to them about what wellbeing meant to them – what made a good day, what made a bad day, what has helped their wellbeing in work and what would they like to see improve. As well as that we studied feedback given to us via the “Your Voice” colleague survey and now have our work categorised into three areas of focus – Basics, Support and Balance. We have plans under each of these focus areas that we are hoping to address – from tackling customer aggression to looking at supports for colleagues in the moments that matter most.

We also have an ongoing calendar of events – from marking World Mental Health Day to World Menopause Day to Pride.

We already have services in place to make sure colleagues feel supported every day, not just in times of crisis. Our Let’s Talk Employee Assistance Programme is widely promoted and used by colleagues and their households. In some companies this is a little used service - perhaps one poster on a noticeboard, but we’ve surprised our providers by really driving the message around colleagues using it as vital support, for themselves and their households. We promote it whenever we can to remove the taboo of talking about our mental health. The service can support someone who is facing everyday struggles and can extend right up to supports during critical incidents such as the passing of a colleague.

As well as that, we have our Mental Health First Responders (MHFR) Programme – colleagues trained to offer in the moment support, similar to physical first aiders. We have MHFRs trained in every store, office, and depot.

Wellbeing is not just about ticking off a date in the calendar, having classes or once-off initiatives. We’re listening to what colleagues really want – whether that’s manager training, better back-of-house facilities, or support during life’s most important moments.

While we can’t fix everything, we have listened to our colleagues and want to offer them the tools they need to support them in improving their own wellbeing and be their best selves, both at home and at work.