Thomas Carroll Insurance
The Thomas, Carroll Insurance Group
(TCIG) is recognised throughout the UK insurance industry as
providing best practice. Twice they have been voted by their peers
as UK Insurance Broker of the year, and the Group recently won the
Sunday Times Best for Wellbeing award. The company employs
90 people at its offices in Caerphilly.
Programme background
The senior management team has a longstanding belief in
supporting the health and welfare of their staff. TCIG has an
active sports and social club, and in 2003 decided to add to their
existing staff well being initiatives by providing a 10-week
programme of health education which was delivered by an external
consultant.
Getting started
The 10-week course covered nutrition, stress, alcohol, smoking
and exercise, and was supported by the provision of free gym
membership for all staff and ‘fruit stations' throughout the
offices. Employees were offered a free induction session at the
local gym, and free monthly Indian head massage sessions at
work.
What are they up to now?
TCIG continues to evolve and grow their health and welfare
prgram for their staff. The company now has a gym and showers
in the building, encouraging those employees who would not
normally go to the gym, to exercise within work time.
The on-site gym is used continuously and far more
frequently that the gym membership originally provided
to all employees. Fresh fruits are provided and
supplies continuously replenished throughout the offices. One
to one sessions are funded for those who need particular
assistance beyond group sessions. These sessions include a
detailed health and fitness programme and then an ongoing mentoring
service. Stress counselling services are provided and the monthly
Indian head massages are still
running. TCIG funds and runs a very
active social programme to assist with that work life balance such
as the annual dragon boat racing challenge and actively
encourage staff teams to get involved in external sporting events –
such as Race for Life, the Three Peaks Challenge, and football
leagues. Many of their activities, such as gardening at the local
children's hospice, are linked to fundraising for charities.
Tips
Key practical tips from the Thomas, Carroll Group are: celebrate
your success both internally and externally; re-launch your
initiatives regularly; be open to any new ideas from employees; and
ensure that information about health and well being is included in
inductions for new staff.
Employee benefits
Staff at Thomas, Carroll Group feel highly valued, and the
encouragement they receive to build activity and healthy eating
into their working day has helped several of them to make radical
changes to their lifestyles.
“The gym is great … I try to go twice a week in my lunch
break because I've got two children and my evenings are taken up
with running back and forward with the kids … I try to fit it into
my day and it's worked … I've lost 22 pounds in the last few months
just by doing more exercise and eating more healthily. The fruit at
work is great and it really helps to get you on the right
track.”
Account Manager, Thomas, Carroll Insurance
Group
A staff survey for the Sunday Times Best for Wellbeing
award found that 88% of staff were proud to work for Thomas,
Carroll and 90% would strongly recommend working for the
company.
Return on investment
The Thomas, Carroll Group has not received any external
financial support for their health promotion initiatives. However,
the directors strongly believe that caring for the health and well
being of their staff reaps dividends in terms of staff turnover,
absenteeism, and commitment to the company: staff turnover is
almost non-existent, and absenteeism levels are extremely low.
“What I find is that even folk who perhaps don't use the
gym, they don't touch the fruit or whatever, but you'll find them
talking very proudly about what we do … they feel valued, and
clients who've been to the building and seen the fruit around the
place are just fascinated.”
Director Thomas, Carroll Insurance
Group
" We provide an active health and
wellbeing programme not just because it is morally right to be
aware of these issues but it is also financially right for our
business. We see this spend as an investment, not a cost. We
believe it pays back handsomely.
Not only do we not lose any people but
we are also able to attract the best to join us here at Thomas,
Carroll. This ensures that we can promise our clients continuity of
service which leads to satisfied clients, increased margins and
profits.
Too many businesses are too willing to
budget big sums in recruitment agency costs rather than invest in a
wellbeing programme. This is short sighted. Invest modest sums and
you will reap the rewards."
Paul Gardner - Group Sales and
Marketing Director