REBA Employee Wellbeing Awards 2020

Most Effective Development to a Wellbeing Strategy (Private Sector)

Winner: Volkswagen Financial Services

An impressive 92% of employees at our winning employer organisation say they are fit and healthy to do their job!  This company ensures that their line managers are well equipped, they have an inclusive demographic approach, and the jury were particularly impressed by their developing policy towards menopause-related wellbeing. 

Most Effective Development to a Wellbeing Strategy (Public and Not-For-Profit sector)

Winner: North Bristol NHS Trust

In a very strong category full of excellence entries, our winner demonstrated that they have evolved, listened to feedback, adapted their strategy when required, and quantified their results. At all times they had both employees and customers in mind. They understand the emotional labour that working in a hospital brings.

Best New Wellbeing Strategy (Fewer than 500 staff)

Winner: Ubisoft Reflections & Ubisoft Leamington

The jury were pleased to see a strategy with a clear purpose which is very focused on the needs of the workforce. The winning organisation combined a holistic approach with real depth of attention to each pillar of wellbeing, particularly with regard to mental health.  They had a compelling case for change within their organisation and have addressed it well with tangible results. 

Best New Wellbeing Strategy (500-5,000 staff)

Winner: The Holly Private Hospital (Aspen Healthcare)

Another great entry from a newcomer to employee wellbeing, with a clear strategy supported by tangible outputs. They addressed the different wellbeing pillars with hard and soft interventions across each. Another provider in the healthcare sector demonstrating  a realistic, measurable and forward-thinking approach to looking after their own employees.

Best New Wellbeing Strategy (More than 5,000 staff)

Winner: Stonegate Pub Company

The winner in this category identified a business problem [a high staff turnover] and developed a strategy to address that.  The strategy is based on researching employees’ actual needs and includes some good specific initiatives, such as support for lone, late-night workers, as well as actions that will help all of the workforce.  The entry provided a really clear picture of why and how Stonegate has introduced a new employee wellbeing strategy.

Best Global or International Wellbeing Strategy

Winner: GSK

Can you personalise wellbeing for 95,000 employees based in 150 different countries? This organisation showed that you can. It identified critical services needed for health and wellbeing globally,  but also took account of local priorities when building and evolving its strategy. 

Best Innovation in Wellbeing Award

Winner: Molson Coors Brewing Company (UK & Ireland) Ltd

Who would have thought that time could be an innovation? This organisation’s approach to giving people a better work/life balance through simple but effective ideas such as deleting emails whilst staff are on holiday, implementing summertime hours and providing “life leave” is innovative because it has become a core part of the way in which the company does business that everyone is committed to across the organisation. 

Best Leadership and Culture in Wellbeing

Winner: Tideway

A well-presented, easy to read submission about implementing employee wellbeing in a challenging environment.  The company addressed inclusivity and support for different cultures within the organisation.  They demonstrated a great knowledge of their workforce, and the leadership shows commitment from the top.  For a real push to create a positive  work culture.

Best Physical Wellbeing Strategy

Winner: Westfield Health

This organisation set clear objectives and demonstrated a good use of technology to support their strategy – the company also looked beyond the gym to other areas of physical health, such as nutrition.  The jury felt that it was great to see a healthcare provider demonstrate such a coherent approach to their own staff’s physical health.

Best Mental Wellbeing Strategy (Fewer than 1,000 staff)

Highly commended: Ubisoft Reflections & Ubisoft Leamington

Highly commended for identifying the key issues and providing statistics that show improvements, this small organisation is focused at an individual level, including having one-to-ones with all new employees.

Winner: Tideway

An organisation that has used its size as a strength and cascaded its initiative to its supply chain. It has built its strategy on the Stevenson/Farmer Review principles and enabled engagement with all employees around mental wellbeing.  For this very inclusive approach, which they benchmark against external competitors.

Best Mental Wellbeing Strategy (1,000-5,000 staff)

Winner: Aster Group UK

There was one clear message in this entry that impressed the jury - employees would recommend this organisation as a place to work because of their employee wellbeing strategy.  This organisation has put in place an effective process for identifying those employees that need support, and actively promote connections through social wellbeing.  

Best Mental Wellbeing Strategy (More than 5,000 staff)

Winner: GSK

The winning organisation demonstrated to the Jury that they are proactive and purpose driven when on mental wellbeing. They have established a great platform to grow from, that is empowering and systematic. They clearly have their finger on the pulse with a clear focus on both individuals and teams.

Best Overall Financial Wellbeing Strategy

Winner: Ocado

The winner in this category has developed an approach to overall financial wellbeing which reflects the diverse demographic of their employees across many locations and often on the road. They have responded to what they have learned from the introduction of a financial wellbeing strategy to expand their approach – and are also engaging people in financial wellbeing even pre-employment.

Best Approach to Day-to-Day Financial Wellbeing

Winner: Gattaca

From a starting point of zero, our winner in this category has demonstrated that they have been very smart with their approach to financial wellbeing. They know their workforce and they know their demographic, and what they have done is scalable. They have made informed choices and used forward thinking. 

Best Approach to Long-term Financial Wellbeing

Winner: The Royal Bank of Scotland Group

The jury were impressed by the well-rounded, long-term approach of this employer’s approach to financial wellbeing – plus, they are making it fun!  Their entry also demonstrates a thoughtful approach to connecting financial and mental wellbeing, understanding emotions and feelings might affect you more than rational facts.

Best Approach to Wellbeing Aligned with a Diversity & Inclusion Strategy

Winner: IHS Markit

IHS Markit impressed the jury through its integrated approach across mental, physical and financial wellbeing, based on strong management information and clear objectives for the future. From awareness of visible and invisible disabilities and the introduction of a gender dysphoria benefit, to a global review of mental health services, they stood out from the crowd.

Best use of Technology and Data for Wellbeing

Winner: Romero Insurance Brokers Ltd

Quite simply, the jury were the most impressed by the clear results shown by this employer – their entry met all the key category criteria and clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of their strategy.  They truly used the data from their tech to drive what they did next.   

Best Wellbeing Engagement (Private Sector)

Winner: Schroders

This employer has taken a robust, evidence-based approach and clearly demonstrated good use of data in benchmarking and measuring success.  The planning and execution for an office move was an impressive springboard for wellbeing engagement and the jury felt that this was the only entry in this category to consider human factors, such as the design of the physical work environment: they were also particularly impressed by their approach to mental health disclosure. 

Best Wellbeing Engagement (Public and Not-For-Profit sector)

Winner: North Bristol NHS Trust

This entry described a very high-quality offering that is well embedded in the culture of the organisation.  Consultation with staff was evident and the resultant strategy has captured all aspects of employee life.  They have worked hard to engage different parts of the workforce and shown that they are responsive to staff feedback.

Pinnacle Award

Winner: GSK

The Pinnacle Award is judged by REBA directors Phil Hayne and Debi O’Donovan and is awarded to a company that scored very highly in several categories, and has demonstrated outstanding commitment to workplace wellbeing.

Visionary Award

Winners: Louise Aston, Dame Carol Black & Beth Robotham

The REBA Employee Wellbeing Visionary Award honours the contribution made by a group of people who have had a huge impact on the workplace wellbeing movement. These visionaries have shifted thinking and influenced other leaders to change their approaches. 

Not only has Louise Aston been consistently supportive of REBA’s work, including joining the jury for this year’s awards, but her role at Business in the Community has ensured that she has been a leading voice across industry, encouraging and supporting many organisations in their path to improving employee wellbeing.

Beth Robotham is not only instrumental in supporting employee wellbeing at her own organisation, Goldman Sachs, but she is also the Deputy Chair of the City Mental Health Alliance and, as such, has been hugely instrumental in changing the conversation around mental health in a very high-pressured industry sector.

Our third Visionary is Dame Carol Black. With a lifetime’s career in medicine and healthcare, since she was first invited by Tony Blair to be the government’s national director for health and work, Dame Carol has been a leading voice of reason, or persuasion and of expertise in public policy on health at work, and continues to encourage commercial, public and third sector organisations to improve the health of their employees.