POINT3 Wellbeing is an impact-led employee wellbeing agency which focuses on the mental health and wellbeing of people in the workplace.  We caught up with Sarah Mayo, its Co-founder, to find out more about some of the trends that can be seen across the sector post-pandemic and beyond. Here’s what she had to say:

What impact have the past couple of years had on health and wellbeing, and what role can incentives play in improving workplace performance?

Both from my own personal perspective, and from what we’ve seen in workplaces during our training sessions, I’d say there has been a wide variation in people’s experience. Some have thrived during the pandemic, others have suffered more, and many have remained pretty constant.

Having said that, what is clear is that more people have struggled than not and, perhaps unsurprisingly, this is backed up by the research. Numerous studies have taken place since 2020 which paint a picture of a decline in mental health and wellbeing. We have referenced two studies in particular in our 2022 POINT3 insights paper.

Gallup’s Global Emotions report released in late 2021 stated that “more people reported feeling stressed, angry, sad and worried in 2020 than at any point in Gallup’s global tracking”. It goes on to explain that this trend is not just as a result of the pandemic. “While 2020 set a record for negative emotions, the trend actually started almost 10 years ago.”

The second is a study carried out by Indeed in which over half (52%) of respondents experienced burnout in 2021—up from the 43% who said the same in Indeed’s pre-Covid-19 survey.

As the Gallup research suggests, while burnout is not a new phenomenon, it appears that levels peaked during the pandemic. If measures are not put in place to better manage workplace stress, we will undoubtedly be looking at more severe diagnosable mental ill health issues, and an increase in staff absences.

It means we are faced with an invaluable opportunity to support clients and attendees by offering incentive events with inspiring educational content. These serve to boost their mental health and wellbeing and motivate them as part of a duty of care to our people in the workplace.

What role do motivation and wellbeing programs play within the incentive travel industry?

With life returning to some sense of normalcy as we learn to live in a post-pandemic world, we need to make a conscious effort if we are to successfully raise the morale and motivation of employees. I feel that 2022 is a time of transition as people learn to adjust. With more flexibility now being offered to employees in terms of where they work, our way of working has, most likely, changed forever. But we are social beings, and our need for connection has never been more apparent.

With 2 in 5 people reporting feeling lonelier during the pandemic (study carried out by Ipsos) we need to reach out again to form connections – with ourselves, with others, and with life!

This is where incentive travel has an enormous opportunity. It is vital that workplaces prioritise rebuilding a sense of connection in their workforce. Where people have been physically disconnected and are perhaps still working remotely, we need to invest in finding ways to consciously rebuild the connection between people again. Organisations must strive to boost morale and maintain motivation in order to ensure high performance can be achieved.

Why should event planners be developing integrated wellbeing programmes within their incentives?

The bottom line is that it is a duty of care for attendees. But more than that, there is so much to be benefitted from supporting individuals and teams with their wellbeing. Simply put, having a happy, motivated and inspired workforce leads to higher performance.

Mental health and performance at work are intrinsically linked. When our mental health is negatively impacted, through loneliness for example, or lack of motivation, this will inevitably have an impact on how we think, feel and behave. No one can perform at their optimum level when their mental health is under par.

Encouraging mental wellbeing is not only a powerful way of connecting people, it also equips them with valuable skills for the workplace. Emotional intelligence, empathy and collective awareness are all skills that will enable people to perform at a much higher level, individually and in teams.

What value does addressing mental wellbeing add for the planner?

I’d rephrase the question and ask what the cost is of not addressing these societal changes in your pitch to clients. As the post Covid-19 Great Resignation trend continues, we are seeing employees reassessing their careers, and seeking a better work-life balance. The Office for National Statistics reports a 60% increase in people leaving their jobs in the UK, with those who remain being asked to take on even more.

By tackling this issue up front, planners can offer incentives to enable their clients to stand out as an employer of choice. An employer that takes the mental health and wellbeing of its people seriously will be far more attractive to new employees, and its own clients when pitching, for example. As a planner, you will be offering enormous value to your clients.

How do these types of incentives add value to employees?

That depends on how successfully the subject is woven into the agenda of an incentive, and whether it is authentically achieved. This will be felt by attendees. We are an employee-wellbeing agency and describe ourselves as ‘impact-led’.

That means we create lasting and positive impact through our training and experiences. We have had an average (positive) impact score of 9 out of 10 for our training so far this year, so we are confident that we can offer the right solutions to help you build mental health and wellbeing into your incentive programme. When it is done well, your incentives will create positive impact and value for your attendees.

What would you say is the most effective way to integrate wellbeing programmes within incentives?

Drawing on our experience in this sector though, there are a couple of powerful ways to integrate wellbeing into an incentive.

I’d say engaging the principle of ‘little and often’ is one of the most effective ways of achieving this. Under the campaign Take 20, we delivered a series of bite sized workshops which we peppered throughout incentive events. These would cover lots of different themes centred around mental health and wellbeing. Topics might include; the five pillars of mental health (sleep, movement, nutrition, mindfulness and communication), finding balance, and the importance of taking breaks. Take 20 is an impactful campaign, perfect for busy professionals who often think that they don’t have time to prioritise themselves amongst everything they do. A little goes a long way when it comes to our mental health.

We have also hosted panel discussions with senior leaders to discuss issues relating to mental health and wellbeing. Our aim is to bust the stigma that surrounds mental health in the workplace, and to create a culture of psychological safety. Stigma leads to discrimination, while a lack of safety leads to fear, both of which mean that people who are struggling with their mental health, struggle in silence and don’t go on to get the help that they need. Naturally, this leads to people not performing at their best. The evidence overwhelmingly shows that when senior leaders within an organisation are open and vulnerable with their own mental health stories, it becomes more normal to openly discuss the subject without fear of prejudice. Where there is a culture of open, honest conversations, there will inevitably be higher overall performance.

What advice would you give to organisations looking to book incentive programmes with you?

Involve us in your planning of incentive programmes as early as you are able to. That way we can assist you to weave wellbeing into your agenda in an authentic and impactful way for your attendees and your clients. We are highly experienced ex-event professionals who understand your world and speak your language. We love nothing more than getting under the skin of your event or incentive brief and coming up with innovative ideas and inspirational experiences that address the needs and aspirations of your client.

Tell us about Point3 and the value/services that it delivers for organisations?

Since we launched four years ago, we have worked with hundreds of organisations to deliver mental health and wellbeing training and experiences. What we offer has naturally evolved over this time as we listen attentively to our clients about what works for them. As a full service, impact led employee wellbeing agency, we offer clients end-to-end, flexible solutions according to their needs.

Working closely with your team, we can do whatever you need, whether that is to totally immerse ourselves in your brief or offer support through workshops and keynotes on a particular mental health topic. We love events, and we love people, so we would be delighted to have a chat about how we might be able to support you to curate unique and impactful mental health and wellbeing initiatives.