Wellbeing

Health and Wellbeing is important to us all. Supporting and valuing each other's health and wellbeing has a key role to play in creating a safe and inclusive place to work where we can all fulfil our potential.

This section is where you will find policies, guidance and top tips on managing your own health and wellbeing and how to support others' health and wellbeing.

OIC Wellbeing Hub Working From Home Advice Resources for a mentally healthy workplace

OIC Wellbeing Hub

The OIC Wellbeing Hub is our platform to provide access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and a range of benefits and discounts.

Our Employee Assistance Programme

Enabling you to benefit from free, confidential and independent support to help you with any personal, work or family related issues. Available any time, any day, by phone or online including the following:

24/7 telephone counselling advice and information service
Dedicated support and information service for managers
Online, mobile enabled EAP and wellbeing resources

SmartPay

Enabling you to make unexpected home and essential purchases more affordable through salary deductions including the following:

SmartPay is one of the most affordable ways for you to purchase the items you require from stores such as Argos, Currys, B&Q and John Lewis
You have the flexibility to select an eVoucher for a value that suits your budget, and this will be deduced from your net salary on a monthly basis for an agreed period of time
There are no upfront payments, no credit cards and no interest added to the eVoucher amount that you apply for

Cycle to Work

Allowing you to choose any adult bike to suit your needs the most cost-effective way including the following:

You will have access to a tax and national insurance free bike and/or bike accessories
You will have access to over 98% of bike brands in the UK to choose from
You can save up to 42% on bikes and accessories with the following brands such as Halfords, Tredz and independent bike stores such as Cycle Orkney

Purchased a bike through our Cycle to Work scheme before 30 October 2024?

If you have any queries relating to your existing agreement you can contact the old provider Blackhawk here and select the help and support tab for employees.

Discounts and Cashback

You can access a range of flexible benefits which offer cost savings and great ways to save you money. From one-off offers to discount cards, there's a way to save that suits you including the following:

Holiday Discounts – A dedicated travel team offering unbiased advice and saving you up to 10% on your next holiday.
Cashback Card – The prepaid visa Pluxee Card allowing you to earn cashback with selected retailers.
Discounts on the Go – Add the OIC Wellbeing Hub to your smartphone’s home screen for benefits and discounts at your fingertips. You can also save on your supermarket shopping by using eVouchers to get instant discounts in store and online.

How do I join?

Access our OIC Wellbeing Hub and select ‘Join’ at the top right-hand corner. Then fill in your name and payroll number (find this on your payslip). You can check that your email address is correct in ‘My Account’ and ‘Contact Details’ and wait for your account activation email. Select the link within the email to activate your account and set a password and then you are ready to go!

If you have any questions, please get in touch with od@orkney.gov.uk or the OIC Wellbeing Hub team directly on 01908 303 531.

Working from home

With more of us working from home, working remotely or changing our usual routines, we have put together some advice and tips to help you look after your wellbeing.

If you have any further suggestions that you think would be useful and that you would like to share please email HR support

Keeping your alarm set - Sticking to a familiar routine helps - it’s still a workday. Keep your alarm set to its usual time and get showered and dressed by the time you’d usually be leaving the house to commute to work and only start work once you’re ready for the day. If you can, use the time you would normally spend travelling to work to get outside and go for a walk, this helps to avoid the ‘straight from bed to desk trap’.

Maintaining regular contact with your manager and colleagues – Setting up a regular Skype call with your team can be helpful to feel connected, it provides an opportunity to share concerns, workloads and offer help and support to each other. Keep communication positive and it is also important to make connections with your colleagues, ask them about their weekends, how their families are doing or share funny stories. It can feel uncomfortable to begin with but allowing video on your Skype calls helps you to see familiar faces, create a better connection and it will help you not feel so isolated by not working face to face. A WhatsApp group can also help, it can feel like interacting on more of a personal level and also can be faster when an emergency response is appropriate.

Taking regular breaks – don’t be ‘on’ all the time. Be aware that if you were in the office you would make a coffee, pop to the shop, catch up with a colleague. Try not to fixate on or worry about being chained to the laptop. Put the kettle on, load the washing machine, go for a lunchtime stroll but ensure that you identify non-working time in your calendar and keep an eye on your hours.

Feeling stressed and anxious – this is a worrying time and we can all benefit from having a look at the websites listed as sources at the end of this document. We have attached a list of resources which includes telephone and online support available. Please speak to your line manager where possible but if you feel you need further advice you can also email with your contact details and someone will get back to you. Guidance for employees experiencing domestic abuse can be found at the bottom of this section.

Marking the end of the day - Like your new morning ‘commute’, develop a ritual to end the working day. If you can, put your computer away, tidy your working area, go for a half-hour stroll or try an indoor workout. Find a way to naturally signal the end of your workday and establish some boundaries.

Prioritising downtime and sleep - We all know that stress and uncertainty can change our sleeping patterns, so try to be mindful of this. Just like waking, keep to your regular bedtime and add in some relaxation before you try to sleep. Keep phones and scrolling far away from the bedroom!

Doing something fun – With no clear differentiation between ‘work life’ and ‘home life’ it can be hard not feel work pressure at all times, when you are working from home and no longer spending time in the car or walking to the office, try reallocating that time to something you enjoy, as above perhaps that is going for a walk or getting out of the house but maybe it could be rediscovering a hobby you didn’t have the time for or doing something that will make you feel good or alleviate some stress.

Educate yourself but don’t overwhelm yourself – The situation with Coronavirus is changing every day, you could be forgiven for trying to keep up with the latest by listening to the radio, or scrolling on Facebook but constant exposure to too much information can be overwhelming. Perhaps allow yourself to check the news or look at government resources during your lunch break or after work. Remember, if it gets too much, switch off.

Being aware of the things that can cause you poor wellbeing and the activities and resources that can help to address this. – Eat right, eat at regular hours of the day. Eating right can minimise your risks of getting ill and fuel your body, for more tips on eating well please see the NHS Eat Well website. Keep on top of usual household chores so your working environment is clean and uncluttered. Look after yourself.

Domestic Abuse Guidance

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