CPD: Drinking deep – Anglian Water’s response to Covid-19

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The multifaceted nature of Covid-19 has meant employers have had to develop sophisticated responses when it comes to supporting employee health and wellbeing in our ‘new normal’. A biopsychosocial approach has paid dividends for Anglian Water, as Victoria Sloan and Jonathon Hill explain.
Over the last few years, Anglian Water (AW) has been on a journey to provide employees with the support they need to be happier, healthier, and safer.
The Covid-19 pandemic was an important point on that journey. Overnight 3,000 employees were asked to work from home and frontline working practices were immediately adapted.
AW has worked hard to ensure that colleagues knew where, when, and how to access health information and support. Maintaining employee safety required creating hundreds of Covid-secure workplaces.
Whilst many worked from home, others worked on site. It was crucial the entire workforce could access support remotely, and at a time suiting their needs. In spring 2020, in partnership with Vitality Health, the business launched a supplementary wellbeing calendar which focused on mental, physical, social and financial wellbeing.
The activities and resources highlighted by the calendar were informed by employee need and identified through regular data capture. All workers were able to access a range of initiatives/activities.
These included ‘Mindful Mondays’, weekly yoga classes, articles, podcasts, and webinars. Staff members could benefit no matter their abilities or interest. Great feedback was received and provided a roadmap for engagement for the New Year.

Focus on access and understanding

Promoting employee wellbeing does not just entail making opportunities available, but requires that team members understand and wish to access the resources and activities offered.
During the early weeks of 2021, AW’s senior leadership teams host