x+why add BetterSpace access to membership benefits

A wellbeing perk for all members

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The past year (and counting) has put a lot of focus on the importance of maintaining good mental health, and people have started to shift their perspective to really engage with the idea of having a healthy work-life balance.  

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As a result there has never been a better time for employers to give their workforce a bit of a boost when it comes to wellbeing.

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Over the pandemic period we took some time to explore how x+why could help to solve this challenge for all our members.  The result?  FREE access to the science-based wellbeing platform, Batterspace, platform for all members.

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x+why give every member free access to Betterspace. If you’re a member and would like to be added to the Betterspace platform, contact your community team via reception and they’ll send you an invite.

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What is BetterSpace?

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BetterSpace is the employee wellbeing platform that outperforms traditional corporate mental health programmes by up to 90%. Employees complete a simple and confidential wellbeing assessment, which allows Betterspace to curate a personalised set of wellbeing recommendations, including apps, services and activities.

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BetterSpace puts control in the hands of the individual employee, empowering them to understand and fulfil their mental health needs.  The  platform has been developed with medical and domain expertise and is aligned to ‘Six Pillars of Wellbeing’, an evidence-based methodology.

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The six pillars of wellbeing is a methodology dating back to the mid-1500s, which has been developed and championed by the world’s top researchers into mental health and wellbeing over the years. It focuses on fulfilling the six lifestyle factors that influence mental health, which are: sleep, exercise, social interaction, activities, helping others, stress management.  Over the coming weeks we will dive into each of these topics and explore how we can improve our handle on them.  Stay tuned!

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Why is this important right now?

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Expectations around employee wellbeing are changing, and the current shift in focus has put company culture in the firing line.  The most savvy employers are recognising that the right company culture will be instrumental in attracting, retaining, and continuing to motivate the best talent - key to success in tumultuous times.   Happy employees are proven to be 13% more productive than unhappy employees

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Token gestures such as the occasional free pastry, or beer on a Friday night are not enough to drive ‘good’ culture and demonstrate genuine support for employees; people want to see a companies committing to, and prioritising, employee mental health.  And this isn’t just a benefit for the employees either, there are big financial rewards for the businesses taking the time to invest.  12 billion days are lost each year to depression and anxiety alone, with it costing employers a whopping £1,300 for every employee whose mental health needs are not met.   On the flip side those willing to invest in mental health initiatives will see an average return of £5 for every £1 spent.

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These statistics are put into perspective when viewed alongside the fact that mental illness is on the rise after a year of economic uncertainty, ill health, isolation and detachment from society.  Deloitte’s Global Millennial Survey 2020, carried out before the pandemic, found that 48% of Gen Zs and 44% of millennials feel anxious or stressed all or most of the time.

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People need support, and more significantly, they expect to get it from a their employer.

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Time to put Mental Health front and centre

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One of the biggest barriers to effectively supporting employee wellbeing is the lingering stigma around mental health, and the reluctance amongst (particularly corporate) employees to admit when they’re struggling.  This can only change with leadership from the top.  In the UK, one in four employees said that they fear negative consequences if they make their mental health issues formal. But if leaders demonstrate commitment to cultural change, it gives a green light to the rest of the company.

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Giving employees access to a personalised wellbeing programme, like BetterSpace, removes mental health from the shadows.  By giving them their own budget, to choose resources that support the unique challenges they face, they feel valued, seen, and heard.

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Supporting the mental health and wellbeing of your employees increases feelings of trust, loyalty and commitment, boosts morale, increases engagement and productivity, reduces absenteeism, and calls time on the damaging pressures of presenteeism. In other words, better employee care gives you a better workforce for business.

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Furthermore, by failing to make employee wellbeing a top business priority, companies risk not only the health of their workers, but the reputation of their brand, their ability to retain good people, and capacity to attract new talent.

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The post-pandemic crossroads

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It is clear to see that the world, and the world of work, has shifted irrevocably.  People’s habits, expectations, and motivations have changed, alongside working practices and realities.  Employers are faced with a choice: to embrace the change, or to try to resist/fight it.

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There will of course be companies that simply aren’t ready to tackle the change, with leaders who remain reluctant to embrace their responsibility for improving the wellbeing of their people.  We believe that those businesses are unlikely to come out winning in the war for talent.

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We know that at x+why we have a community of businesses of the future, and employers of choice.  We want to help foster their success by removing any barriers to making the workplace healthier for everybody.

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