In a recent YouGov survey it has been reported that 51% of full-time staff and 57% of part-time staff who have been placed on furlough claimed their mental health has deteriorated since last year’s first lockdown.
Recognising the impact of the past year on employees, Mewies & Co in Charnwood, Leicestershire has launched a mental health and wellness programme to support their employees return to busy salon life and has restructured the overall business with a focus on long term employee wellbeing.
The Mewies & Co mental health and wellness 12-week transition back to work programme includes:
In addition, Mewies & Co has also formalised several initiatives in an employee focused restructure of the business to support the long-term mental wellbeing of their team:
Dan Mewies, founder of Mewies & Co and Authentic Beauty Concept Ambassador, said:
Mewies & Co has always reflected a mindful approach to hairdressing with wellness an underpinning principal. This ethos of holistic care informs everything we do, including how we take care of our valued team. In creating our return-to-work programme and restructuring the business to focus further on the mental wellbeing of our team, I believe we will have a happier, motivated, and more productive workforce, and as a result the business will grow stronger.
As an employer I want to protect the mental health of my employees. We are not forcing anyone to participate but instead supporting our team to take control of their own wellbeing. I try to lead by example and I too have taken several steps to look after my own wellbeing this past year. Employees may be suffering from a multitude of personal worries, social isolation and transitioning back to some sort of normality. There is certainly a need for support measures to be implemented to protect our industry’s mental health, including communication, encouraging employees to access support and take holiday, and watching for and responding quickly to signs.