Mental Health Awareness Week, held May 13-19, serves as an essential reminder of how critical mental well-being is to our lives. For over two decades, the week has promoted techniques for reducing stress and highlighting the value of mental health support.
In today’s fast-paced, often remote work environments, it is paramount to prioritize mental health to enhance people’s well-being and foster healthier communities. People spend most of their time at work, making it crucial to choose a place where you feel valued, cared for, and supported. Companies must understand employees’ needs and desires while implementing initiatives that promote a healthy work environment.
As part of Innovecs’ core value of Care, we actively organize initiatives that support the mental health of our team members. Let’s explore, together with Alla Bondaruk, HR Operations Specialist at Innovecs, what’s vital for the Innovecs team and how the company fosters a happy and healthy lifestyle.
I hold the HR Operations position at Innovecs. I directly manage the design of initiatives aimed at improving the well-being of our teammates and oversee the company’s benefits. When the idea of creating InnoFlex first appeared, I was fascinated by its unique and flexible approach, which allows each team member to choose valuable benefits personally.
During the development and implementation of the system, the entire HR team put in significant effort. We researched the market and incorporated the best benefit ideas for our team. I was responsible for finding providers and conducting tenders to select the best conditions and highest quality services. Currently, I supervise the administration of these benefits, collect feedback, analyze data, and generate new ideas.
We highly value the opinions and feedback of our teammates, as they enable us to improve our program continually. We use several approaches: we regularly assess program satisfaction, allowing our teammates to share their impressions and ideas for improvement.
We encourage open dialogue and feedback. Everyone can share their own thoughts during one-on-one meetings with HR Business Partners or informal conversations. We analyze all this with the team and management. The best ideas are implemented into the program or considered when developing new benefits.
Internal team events shape our corporate culture and foster team cohesion. It’s much more than just entertainment or relaxation. It’s a powerful tool for teammate interaction and networking. Especially working remotely, such events help overcome feelings of isolation, restore live communication, and create a positive atmosphere.
Our Brand and Communications department regularly organizes events for our team, whether online webinars, in-office gatherings, or outdoor activities. We always talk to our people to understand their preferences and gather feedback after each event to identify what worked well and what could be improved.
Recently, we held a painting event. After our initial global team gathering in Warsaw, we organized a similar Art Workshop in our Kyiv office. During summer, we may go kayaking or paddleboarding. We also enjoy playing detective games online, where we solve mysteries together.
We place a significant emphasis on CSR activities. For instance, during our Explore Shchekavytsia event, we combined sightseeing with eco-cleaning to preserve nature. Or, some time ago, we went plogging, where we combined running with picking up garbage.
Supporting well-being is at the core of our activities, so we offer a range of lectures, such as “Fundamentals of Stress Resistance,” where participants can learn valuable techniques for managing stress effectively.
Our goal is to ensure each event caters to a different interest, covering various aspects so everyone finds something enjoyable. Even simple gatherings to play Mortal Kombat tournament or a board game night can be a relaxing way to unwind after a workday.
One of the benefits is access to professional psychological specialists. Those who choose this benefit can receive a specific amount of free consultations. Discounts are also available for additional consultations for themselves or their loved ones. These psychological services provide a partner organization specializing in corporate psychological assistance. Employees can seek help for a range of work-related or personal issues, including stress, crisis situations, or other challenges affecting their well-being. It is important to note that the consultations are entirely confidential and anonymous.
We plan to extend this service to our European team because well-being is no less crucial for Europe. We believe this will help support a harmonious work environment where mental health care is prioritized.
More than 70% of innovecsers use the InnoFlex program, which is a significant indicator. We are satisfied with the results. This high level of engagement shows that the program meets the expectations and needs of the Innovecs team. We are glad to see them accessing various resources and opportunities to improve their well-being.
Many colleagues have shared that it’s a great initiative. For example, some used a subscription to Udemy and gained access to a vast database of courses, which helped improve their professional knowledge and develop new skills. Teammates who struggled with burnout used psychological consultations to overcome it and restore balance between work and personal life. This is a wonderful positive example.
Market research and studying best practices in benefits have once again made me realize the critical importance of supporting employee well-being and work-life balance. The company must create conditions where team members can maintain motivation, energy, and psychological balance. Investing in the most valuable asset — people — is imperative. A team that enjoys an excellent atmosphere within the company ensures business prosperity through psychological resilience.
