'This is how you create a culture of care in the workplace'

Care costs little, but means a lot

We may never be fully satisfied with the answers we provide – there is, and should be, always more to do when it comes to supporting the mental health of the colleagues around us. Clearly different travel businesses, from the home to the high street to online, will have different budgets, but showing care, attention, kindness and a feeling of unwavering support, shouldn’t cost a thing.

Examples can include creating space, on or offline, to get together and simply chat, perhaps with no agenda other than to ask, “How are you?”, and ensure you’re listening carefully to answer. Creating safe spaces to talk, and listen, such as the bi-weekly “coffee mornings” we host at Travel Counsellors, might not require more money than the cost of teabags and a tin of biscuits, but could mean the world to someone that needs to air an issue.

From first aid to free massages

Bigger budgets are required when it comes to investment in external initiatives such as mental health first aid, an accredited course that sees colleagues take part in dedicated training to support the mental wellbeing of those around them. This includes not only their peers and colleagues, but can also apply to their family and friends, and means knowledge gained goes beyond the workplace and into the home, making more lives a little lighter.

Thankfully, and in stark comparison to the pandemic period in travel, many of us are still riding the wave of a successful peaks period in January and February this year, but as great as busy periods are for the bottom line, they can also be stressful for the colleagues and business owners at the coal face. We all love the adrenaline rush of helping a customer to secure their travel plans, but we also must look after ourselves in the process. After all, you can’t pour from an empty cup.

Further examples of this are the little touches that add up to creating big feelings of showing care to people, such as the free head and shoulder massages we provided for our support team during the peaks period, hot lunches and healthy snacks, daily recognition for a job well done, and even the senior management team making brew rounds for busy colleagues!

52 weeks of mental health awareness

As we see this week coming to a close it seems essential to point out that ‘one week’ of focus simply doesn’t do the topic of mental wellbeing in the workplace enough justice, and for companies looking at enhancing their wellbeing initiatives it’s going to take many more weeks and months to ensure it is done well, done right, with care and with the consideration it deserves.

This journey is a marathon, not a sprint, but if there’s one thing I know about the people who work in travel, it’s that they will be there for each other as part of a very special industry that many passionate, driven, amazing professionals are proud to call home.