It's Men's Health Week
June 10, 2024
Hear from our colleagues on how they've utilised the support services that are available.
This week is Men’s Health Week, and we are celebrating it by highlighting all the support we have available for our employees, as well as bringing in external experts to further champion everything to do with men’s health and wellbeing.
The purpose of Men’s Health Week is to act as a reminder of the importance of proactively addressing and managing health issues and to encourage men to take charge of their own wellbeing.
This links perfectly with our own internal policies, which centre around the “Five Ways” approach. This suggests that building the following five actions into our day-to-day lives can make a big, positive difference: 1. Connect- Make and sustain connections with the people around you, including family, friends and colleagues. 2. Be active- Discover a physical activity that you enjoy and that suits your level of mobility and fitness. 3. Take notice- Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling and savour the moment as much as you can. 4. Keep learning- Trying something new or taking on new responsibilities can make you feel more confident, as well as being fun. 5. Give- Relating yourself, and your happiness, to that of the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and helps to create further connections.
However, sometimes these simple fixes aren’t enough to cope with the pressures on our mind and body, and that’s where our internal support systems and range of benefits are so important. We spoke to our colleagues about how they’ve used the different types of support available to build healthier and happier lives:
Health Cash Plan:
The Health Cash Plan, provided in partnership with BHSF, allows Polar Technology employees to claim cash reimbursements for routine and emergency healthcare. It is available through a number of different packages, for both individuals and families, at different price brackets. The types of healthcare eligible for the reimbursements include dental costs, optical costs, therapy treatments, maternity/paternity and hospital inpatient costs.
Our Production Manager for Moulded Composites, has taken out a ‘Gold Family Package’, meaning his wife and children can also benefit from the scheme. He said “It’s almost paid for itself now, given how many things that we’ve been able to claim for. I went though some bad back problems last year and I’ve been having regular appointments with the chiropractor to help manage and prevent the issues, and I’m able to claim 75% of the costs back each time.”
“The app is so easy to use; you can track all your used and available benefits and the claims you’ve made so far, and then you can easily find the option you’re looking for when you process a new claim. All you need to do is add an electronic receipt or photo and that’s it, the money goes straight into your bank about three or four days later. It’s a no-brainer!”
Mental Health First Aiders/My Possible Self App
A key component of general health is mental wellbeing, and this is an issue that men in particular often suffer in silence with. We have trained Mental Health First Aiders on-site who are available to speak to colleagues when needed, and an app called ‘My Possible Self’ which offers interactive tools and activities to help manage your own mental wellbeing.
One colleague, who wished to remain anonymous, opened up about his experiences of the services available: “I think that I’d been really struggling with anxiety and depression for about three months before I reached out to Frankie, one of our Mental Health First Aiders. Following the discussions I had with Frankie and the management team, I was allowed to take some time away from work and then work out a schedule for easing me back in at my own pace.”
“I never felt any pressure from anyone to rush back before I was ready, and my team were so supportive. Frankie has been incredible; she checked in with me when I was away from the business and having someone to talk to that you trust is so important.”Over a year later, the difference has been significant, with the colleague now working his normal hours and above. He did recognise that this was an issue that may never fully go away and still uses the app occasionally to keep on top of how he’s feeling.
He was keen to encourage others to take advantage of the support that is available: “I honestly don’t know where I’d be if I didn’t have the support. It’s also nothing to be embarrassed about and I hope that sharing my experience will help others come forward. If it helps one person, it will have been worth it.”
Employee Assistance Programme
After speaking to our Mental Health First Aiders, they can refer colleagues to our Employee Assistance Programme, a professional counselling service that can offer help with major life issues including stress, debt and bereavement, as well as other information and guidance.
This service is available free of charge for the first six sessions, and is strictly confidential. It only takes a brief description of the issues to be matched with a qualified counsellor, who can then offer support for as many sessions as is required.
One of our Machine Shop Controllers began using the counselling service about two months ago to help manage a difficult situation he was having in his home life: “I was struggling to deal with my partner’s son, who has severe ADHD, in the most constructive way and it was causing tension in our home. I had an initial consultation with the service, who referred me to the right person, and I’ve since had five sessions, with two more booked in the diary.”
“They have helped me to manage my own reactions and reconsider my behaviour, so that I can deal with the situations in a calmer way. I’ve also been able to better understand the behaviour of my partner’s son, through advice from my counsellor and reading online articles about ADHD. It’s definitely led to a better state of mind for me, and a better atmosphere at home.”
The purpose of Men’s Health Week is to act as a reminder of the importance of proactively addressing and managing health issues and to encourage men to take charge of their own wellbeing.
This links perfectly with our own internal policies, which centre around the “Five Ways” approach. This suggests that building the following five actions into our day-to-day lives can make a big, positive difference: 1. Connect- Make and sustain connections with the people around you, including family, friends and colleagues. 2. Be active- Discover a physical activity that you enjoy and that suits your level of mobility and fitness. 3. Take notice- Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling and savour the moment as much as you can. 4. Keep learning- Trying something new or taking on new responsibilities can make you feel more confident, as well as being fun. 5. Give- Relating yourself, and your happiness, to that of the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and helps to create further connections.
However, sometimes these simple fixes aren’t enough to cope with the pressures on our mind and body, and that’s where our internal support systems and range of benefits are so important. We spoke to our colleagues about how they’ve used the different types of support available to build healthier and happier lives:
Health Cash Plan:
The Health Cash Plan, provided in partnership with BHSF, allows Polar Technology employees to claim cash reimbursements for routine and emergency healthcare. It is available through a number of different packages, for both individuals and families, at different price brackets. The types of healthcare eligible for the reimbursements include dental costs, optical costs, therapy treatments, maternity/paternity and hospital inpatient costs.
Our Production Manager for Moulded Composites, has taken out a ‘Gold Family Package’, meaning his wife and children can also benefit from the scheme. He said “It’s almost paid for itself now, given how many things that we’ve been able to claim for. I went though some bad back problems last year and I’ve been having regular appointments with the chiropractor to help manage and prevent the issues, and I’m able to claim 75% of the costs back each time.”
“The app is so easy to use; you can track all your used and available benefits and the claims you’ve made so far, and then you can easily find the option you’re looking for when you process a new claim. All you need to do is add an electronic receipt or photo and that’s it, the money goes straight into your bank about three or four days later. It’s a no-brainer!”
Mental Health First Aiders/My Possible Self App
A key component of general health is mental wellbeing, and this is an issue that men in particular often suffer in silence with. We have trained Mental Health First Aiders on-site who are available to speak to colleagues when needed, and an app called ‘My Possible Self’ which offers interactive tools and activities to help manage your own mental wellbeing.
One colleague, who wished to remain anonymous, opened up about his experiences of the services available: “I think that I’d been really struggling with anxiety and depression for about three months before I reached out to Frankie, one of our Mental Health First Aiders. Following the discussions I had with Frankie and the management team, I was allowed to take some time away from work and then work out a schedule for easing me back in at my own pace.”
“I never felt any pressure from anyone to rush back before I was ready, and my team were so supportive. Frankie has been incredible; she checked in with me when I was away from the business and having someone to talk to that you trust is so important.”Over a year later, the difference has been significant, with the colleague now working his normal hours and above. He did recognise that this was an issue that may never fully go away and still uses the app occasionally to keep on top of how he’s feeling.
He was keen to encourage others to take advantage of the support that is available: “I honestly don’t know where I’d be if I didn’t have the support. It’s also nothing to be embarrassed about and I hope that sharing my experience will help others come forward. If it helps one person, it will have been worth it.”
Employee Assistance Programme
After speaking to our Mental Health First Aiders, they can refer colleagues to our Employee Assistance Programme, a professional counselling service that can offer help with major life issues including stress, debt and bereavement, as well as other information and guidance.
This service is available free of charge for the first six sessions, and is strictly confidential. It only takes a brief description of the issues to be matched with a qualified counsellor, who can then offer support for as many sessions as is required.
One of our Machine Shop Controllers began using the counselling service about two months ago to help manage a difficult situation he was having in his home life: “I was struggling to deal with my partner’s son, who has severe ADHD, in the most constructive way and it was causing tension in our home. I had an initial consultation with the service, who referred me to the right person, and I’ve since had five sessions, with two more booked in the diary.”
“They have helped me to manage my own reactions and reconsider my behaviour, so that I can deal with the situations in a calmer way. I’ve also been able to better understand the behaviour of my partner’s son, through advice from my counsellor and reading online articles about ADHD. It’s definitely led to a better state of mind for me, and a better atmosphere at home.”
He recommended the service to anybody who might be struggling with an issue in their personal lives or at work: “It was so easy to set up and start speaking with someone. Since starting the sessions, I’ve noticed a massive difference.”
Through utilising solutions from MSP, our machining capabilities have gone from strength to strength.
The committee is made up of representatives from across the company and will meet once a month to discuss all health and safety matters.
To mark the occasion, we were offering an incentive for the person who cycled the furthest distance, and a bacon sandwich and hot drink for everyone who had a go
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Horizon Technology Park, Stanton Harcourt Rd, Eynsham OX29 4GF
Polar Technology Management Group (Company Reg No. 07861070 Registered office: 67 Hightown Rd, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX16 9BE.)
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