Key Sentence:
- In honor of World Mental Health Day, I spoke with Mary Alice Vujicic, CEO of Thomson Reuters.
- Vujicic has long advocated “hybrid work, a values-based workplace that prioritizes the well-being and mental health over productivity at all costs.”
Companies need intelligent strategies to attract, recruit, and retain the best talent in a competitive job market. “Employees seek to exceed pay for the benefit of an employer who accepts diversity and inclusion, flexibility, general well-being, and a higher purpose. “People try to fit their work into their lives, not the life around work,” says Vujicic.
He added, “The pandemic has accelerated people’s focus on how they want to live their lives and how work anywhere can fit into their ideal life and work. Above all, flexible work gives them more opportunities for this—two- or three-day hybrid work model in the office.
Vujicic shares some exciting developments on Thomson Reuters that he uses to improve the work lives of his employees. Corporate investments in healthcare have become an essential building block. Team member surveys show that the pandemic has impacted the mental health and well-being of employees. Thomson Reuters is “deliberately” investing in its employees with mental health resources and other benefits to transition to its hybrid work model.
The organization’s approach to mental health includes the following:
Leaders and people’s leaders are encouraged Thomson Reuters Boss to talk about health and mental health to break the stigma. They lead by example by sharing personal stories about mental health issues or taking simple actions. Such as changing the message on their absence signal to say they are resting. All employees are entitled to two days off – one in May and one in October. The initiative was launched in October 2020 during the pandemic, and the company has decided to make it permanent.
In October 2021, Thomson Reuters runs a month-long campaign in honor of Mental Health Day that includes:
- An individual and anonymous Thomson Reuters Boss psychological self-assessment tool that helps employees to recognize their strengths and risks and to develop individual strategies
- Fourteen days brain teaser with Headspace app. This can include activities that range from mini meditations in the morning to breathing exercises before bed.
- Introducing books on mental health for leaders to help them create safe spaces to talk about mental health
- In May 2021, Thomson Reuters signed the Attentive Business Charter, which helps companies implement mindful business practices in their businesses.
- 2020, Thomson Reuters launched the Headspace app for mindfulness and meditation.
- In 2020, the company introduced short meetings to provide scheduled breaks between virtual sessions and added online collaboration tools (virtual boards).
According to Vujicic, diversity and inclusion should be a top priority for senior management and directors. Attracting other candidates means nothing in the long run if they don’t stick around. Instead, businesses need to develop a culture that sustains and cultivates talent. That means implementing programs that help women and other diverse skills to survive and succeed in the world of work.
The senior official said his company had expanded its mental health and wellness resources. The past year has touched us all. In the United States alone, where the most significant team member population is located. Four in ten adults report symptoms of anxiety or depression. Increased alcohol and tobacco use, trouble sleeping, and more than 60% report weight changes. A Thomson Reuters team member survey found that fear was one of the most cited emotions over the past year.