To feel good means to work better

Combining work and private life can prove a major challenge, and the pandemic brought yet another layer of complexity and stress disrupting mental and social health for many of us. Therefore, today more than ever, we safeguard the well-being and vitality of our employees, because to feel good means to work better.  
 
We have always engaged and cared about the health and happiness of our people but in social-distancing times, we want to maintain even more the good energy and connection amongst our colleagues. With that in mind, we have set several initiatives to encourage everyone to discover what gives them energy and maintaining a healthy balance, especially now that for many of us our workplace happens to be our home.  
 
But how do we do that? We share plenty of practical tips and tricks online so that everyone recognizes their personal stress levels in good time and takes action. However, we believe that an open culture in which our people can talk this over is essential. That’s why we encourage them to seek support and talk about it so they can sound the alarm before it’s too late. We have many internal and external experts available in the field, in some regions dedicated colleagues who check upon the state of mind of our employees one by one. But often it is someone’s entourage who first notices if the person is reacting differently than usual. The goal is to inspire our employees and cultivate a caring culture including our leaders. A caring leadership leads by example, encouraging and coaching teams, staying connected and growing trust. This is only possible when giving them the opportunity and space to connect. 
 
Creating a sense of belonging from a far can be difficult but very important in times of increased stress levels, with risk of digital and mental exhaustion. Small attentions come often a long way, which is why we dedicated motivational gestures and words thanking our employees in these challenging times as we are in this together. In addition, nobody can question that creativity has been key during the pandemic to keep our colleagues connected and unified. Quizzes, online work-out sessions, coffee breaks, escape games and even an online radio station to reconnect our people are only a few of the virtual gatherings that were organized.  
 
Our programs are regionally implemented but we are working towards a consistent and global approach. We care for our people and engage to make Umicore a great place to work because to feel good means to work better.