Rethinking what it means to be a great place to work through Mental health advocacy and workplace balance

Tami Wolownik, Head of People and Organization (P&O) – Siemens Mobility North America

Mental health isn’t something worn on your sleeve and it’s not something everyone wants to talk about. But with honest and meaningful conversations we can reinforce the importance of mental health, encourage discussions and rethink what it means to be a great place to work.

The start of a new year is a great time to reflect on accomplishments and create new goals, both personal and professional. In 2021 all of us at Siemens Mobility focused on the importance of mental health in the workplace and workplace balance. From offering more benefits in the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to unique perks that focus on wellbeing, we are rethinking what it means to be a great place to work. 

Siemens Mobility as a company is proud to focus on mental health, but the importance of focusing on mental health can also be seen in employee surveys. In our 2021 SGES surveys, employees indicated their desire to take a greater interest in their wellbeing. We began acting on that feedback quickly, sending out Mental Health Matters communications, dedicating our most recent Global Safety Focus Day to mental health awareness and offering virtual live trainings on coping strategies for seasonal blues.

In 2021 we also placed a real focus on leadership, manager trainings and communications throughout the pandemic, including new programs in leadership capability and manager engagement. Our managers are on the frontline to ensure their employees are thriving. As a manager, it is important to have those conversations with employees and share the resources Siemens offers to ensure our policies and programs are accessible to both office and production employees.   

With a focus on employee enrichment programs, we implemented Wellness Days across our North American sites to bring employees together and offer a change of pace to the normal work environment. This included a catered lunch for all teams and even an additional day off during the Thanksgiving holiday. We also enhanced EAP benefits like adoption services, legal assistance and access to other life specialists free of charge. And we introduced Digital Learning Hours encouraging employees to explore individual learning opportunities in any topic of their choosing. 

As we head off into all that 2022 has to offer, let’s remember to take a moment and reflect on our own wellbeing. Mental health isn’t something worn on your sleeve and it’s not something everyone wants to talk about. But with honest and meaningful conversations we can reinforce the importance of mental health, encourage discussions and rethink what it means to be a great place to work.

Written By: Tami Wolownik, Head of People and Organization (P&O) –  Siemens Mobility North America

Originally appeared on https://www.mobility.siemens.com/us/en/insights/rethinking-what-it-means-to-be-a-great-place-to-work-through-mental-health-advocacy-and-workplace-balance-.html