Since the physical and mental health of our employees is a top priority, in January 2021 Swiss Re held its first ever ReSilience Day, where employees across all locations enjoyed a day off work to relax and recharge their batteries. In April 2021, the Human Resources team sent out a survey to employees globally to understand more about their experiences at the company and how they were handling these challenging times overall. An impressive 82% of the company took the time to share their thoughts and feelings.
The survey showed that the majority of respondents were confident about the company’s overall resilience in the face of the crisis. It also revealed that COVID-19 has tested Swiss Re employees’ personal resilience, in particular regarding new ways of working and workload. However, 73% of employees stated they continue to feel resilient in the face of the pandemic and many felt that people worked well together, stayed connected and that Swiss Re was actively looking after their well-being.
To support employees in boosting their resilience during the pandemic, the company has launched a number of mental health and well-being initiatives over the past years. Most recently, Swiss Re signed the Leadership Pledge for the Global Business Collaboration for Better Workplace Mental Health. This new business-led collaboration, founded by BHP, Clifford Chance, Deloitte, HSBC, Salesforce and Unilever, aims to raise awareness of the importance of mental health in the workplace, break down stigmas and facilitate the adoption of best practices for helping employees.
Employee support programmes are not new for the company. Swiss Re offers external independent and confidential advice and counselling to those in difficult circumstances in every location, free of charge via its Employee Assistance Providers programme. The Group also runs an internal initiative via its global employee network Pathways, where dedicated Mental Health Champions from the company take the time to listen, advocate the importance of mental health in their circles and refer people to professional help if necessary.
Pathways organises a variety of mental health-related events throughout the year, such as health first-aider trainings, mindfulness sessions and regular mental health talks. For example, in the lead-up to World Mental Health Day 2021, Swiss Re employees took part in the atlasGO challenge, engaging in diverse activities to care for one’s own mental health while helping raise money for the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Despite progress over the past years, there remains workplace stigma and bias attached to mental ill health across the world. Swiss Re recognises that it is important to break down stigmas and support employees’ mental health.
