We are delighted that Jamie is going to be speaking in Manchester this September as part of our Wellbeing at Work Summit UK. We caught up with him to find out how he’s feeling in the run up to the summit.
Hi Jamie, we are thrilled you will be speaking at our Wellbeing at Work Summit UK in September. Our first and most important question is, how are you doing today?
The usual happy and slightly chaotic juggling of life but plenty to make it a great day thank you.
As a leader, what are the main challenges you are facing when it comes to employee wellbeing?
Due to the broad portfolio of contracts across multiple Sectors and geographies we have at Serco we have experience of virtually every workplace wellbeing challenge you can think of. My biggest challenge is therefore balancing the general with the nuanced, ensuring we can deliver a strategy across our global business that meets the needs of some very specific situations.
What strategies have you seen developing over the past 6 months, both internally and externally, that are moving the dial on wellbeing in the workplace?
The bringing together of Health and Safety with Wellbeing and applying the risk management approach from the former to the latter. We’ve often talked about being preventative in the workplace wellbeing space, yet realistically have made little progress. Now we’re seeing how, by identifying, removing and managing workplace hazards we can create working environments that are conducive to wellbeing, rather than trying to apply sticking plasters after hazards have created harms.
Why is employee wellbeing so important to you personally?
I started out as an assistant psychologist in the NHS, balancing this with a professional rugby career. I was learning lots about maximising my own performance yet seeing none of that science applied to people’s wellbeing, either via patient care or to the NHS staff I was working alongside. That was my lightbulb moment which set me on the path into employee wellbeing, initially focused on the wellbeing x performance intersect and then developing, through my experience working in the NHS, into a broader understanding of the public health impact that the workplace could also make.
What are you most looking forward to about the Summit in September?
Whilst I try and stay connected to the latest thinking, the reality of being inside a large organisation is that you naturally focus internally, so opportunities to connect with peers, take in new ideas and test my thinking are always welcomed.
Tell us, what is your vision for the future workplace, in terms of engagement, health and wellbeing?
As workplace wellbeing professionals our goal should be to become obsolete. If a workplace is truly healthy and functioning optimally it shouldn’t need someone ‘in charge’ of wellbeing, it should be the golden thread through everyone’s roles and responsibilities. Sadly I think we’re a way off that currently but I’d certainly like to see it in my career span.
What areas do you think employers should be focused on over the next 12 months?
Psychological health and safety and psychosocial risk management. We’re seeing increasing legislation on this area, currently in Australia but with many other regions considering it, so organisations can either do this voluntarily now and get ahead of the curve, or be required to in the not too distant.
How has your organisation been leading the way?
We’ve got plenty of work still to do but I’m proud of our progress, most notably being the first large multinational to achieve ISO 45003 certification, get the first prison in the world certified and also be recognised as a Tier 1 employer by the CCLA for 3 years running. These achievements point to broad improvements we’ve been making across our entire wellbeing strategy.
Jamie will be speaking in Manchester at the Wellbeing at Work Summit UK which takes place live and in-person in London and Manchester with an additional day of virtual sessions too. Further details on the Summit can be found here.
