Utility Warehouse has set the benchmark for enhancing staff and Partner wellbeing.
Staff mental health dictates workplace culture, productivity, and – most importantly – a team’s happiness. And, now that coronavirus has held the UK under lockdown for almost a year, helping staff manage their mental health is more important than ever. As a result, businesses looking to improve employee wellness may be looking for inspiration. These businesses could find it helpful to look to Utility Warehouse (UW) – the UK’s only genuine multiservice provider.
UW recognises that numerous challenges can take their toll on mental health. That’s why the company offers all staff access to a mental health nurse. Employees can make appointments with a professional whenever required, avoiding NHS waiting lists. Similarly, UW also offers an Employee Assistance Programme, which is available to staff day and night. This way, staff know there is always help on hand.
However, the multiservice provider has now launched three additional wellness initiatives to support not only its staff, but also its Authorised Partners, through COVID-19. The Partner network comprises over 45,000 independent distributors, who sign customers up to UW services and develop their own Partner teams.
Here are UW’s three latest staff and Partner wellness initiatives.
1) Wellness sessions
Many of us spend hours at our desks without a break, especially if we’re working remotely – which can make it difficult to draw the line between work and relaxation time. Too much screen time can be detrimental to health, which is why UW offers its staff and Partners free access to a suite of virtual ‘Weekly Wellness Sessions’. These sessions give staff a break from their desks and a chance to focus on themselves.
Staff and Partners can tune in on Zoom to take part in live yoga, fitness, and watchfulness sessions. UW also offers children’s yoga sessions so staff and Partners’ families can get involved, too. While the yoga and fitness sessions offer a range of mental and physical health benefits, the watchfulness sessions focus on meditation to help staff and Partners recharge and relieve stress. These sessions are ideal for reducing anxiety by increasing awareness of your emotional state and calming your mind.
2) Walk around the world in 28 days challenge
Now we’re approaching spring, UW is keen to get staff outside and racking up their steps for charity. That’s why the multiservice provider has undertaken a ‘walk around the world in 28 days’ challenge. Not only can staff support a key charity, but they can also get away from their screens to go for a walk every day.
The idea is that staff can walk (or run) around the world by collectively walking 50 million steps (25,000 miles) over a 28-day period Once UW has hit its target, it will donate £5,000 to a staff-nominated charity and award a Fitbit to the walker who has completed the most verified steps. Staff are recording their steps on smartphones, pedometers, and Fitbits. At the end of each day, UW sends an email to each participant to confirm the distance they have covered since starting the challenge. What’s more, participants are sharing their favourite podcasts and photos of themselves on walks to inspire each other.
3) Mindful Chef food boxes
UW knows how taxing life under lockdown can be. Many Partners are working from home while managing packed home-schooling schedules, attending remote appointments, slotting in exercise routines, and trying to prepare healthy meals. Therefore, as of February, UW has arranged time-saving Mindful Chef food box deliveries for Partners when they reach customer sign-up milestones.
Mindful Chef packs these food boxes with healthy and nutritious meals, perfect for saving on shopping and meal-prep time without resorting to junk food. Each box contains 3–4 meals for two people or up to two meals for five people. Mindful Chef adapts boxes to suit family, diet, and lifestyle requirements, meaning Partners don’t need to make any changes to the recipes when their boxes arrive. Partners can even gift their boxes if they have someone in mind who’d particularly appreciate the food.
UW Partners also receive other incentives for customer sign-ups, including hampers, holidays, experience days, and car leases.
Learn more about becoming a UW Partner.
About Utility Warehouse
UW helps customers save money and time they would otherwise spend on complicated utility bills. Instead, customers can bundle their home services into great value monthly bills and then forget about them. Once set up, customers can trust UW to manage their home services and focus on the things that matter to them. Whether you need energy, broadband and mobile services, or home insurance and boiler care, UW can create a bundle for your needs.
UW has won a wealth of awards for its excellent customer service. Not only is UW a Which? Recommended Mobile Services Provider, but the company has also been named Which’s Utilities Brand of the Year 2020 and Home Finances’ Best Energy Provider for Clarity of Bills and Value for Money.
Over 650,000 customers make the most of UW’s home service bundles. But it isn’t just customers who benefit from UW’s innovation. UW’s dedicated Partner Network allows freelancers to set up their own businesses and earn on their own terms by introducing new customers to UW. They can also earn by encouraging existing customers to become Partners. UW has no need to spend on TV or radio advertising as its Partners use word-of-mouth recommendations to spread the word about UW’s multi-award-winning services. Numerous Partners have signed up as independent distributors over recent months to generate new streams of income due to the financial impact of COVID-19. These Partners come from all walks of life, from teachers, to military personnel, to stay-at-home parents and students.
The FTSE 250 company is fully regulated by Ofgem, Ofcom, and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
