We love reading how others interpret workplaces and workspaces. The concept of a happy workplace is something we hold close to our hearts, but studies show that Australians are generally not happy at work… we’re stressed, we’re tired and we’re sick. So, how did we get here? It’s been quite a long journey…and its one we’re dedicated to reinventing.
At Mkt. we’ve put our own spin on what a healthy workplace looks and feels like. We recognise that we work with whole humans and so we have implemented a workplace wellness program, Mkt’s #UpgradedLife.
In short, we’re out to buck the trend that PR requires high stress, long hours and over-worked individuals, because the happier and healthier we are the better we are for the world, and in short, better for our clients.
We were honoured to be able to share our spin on mental health in the workplace last year with the Victorian Workplace Mental Wellbeing Collaboration as a business that has transcended the obligatory fruit bowl workplace wellness to implementing real organisation level changes.
And as a proud, certified B Corp we’re not one to hide our ideas, so we’re sharing what we’re doing to shake things up at Mkt. HQ:
- Meaningful Mondays, Wellness Wednesdays and Freedom Fridays sees the team sharing something meaningful with each other from quotes, to movies, to books and beyond, weekly group meditation, sharing a healthy subsidised lunch (with proceeds going to our nominated charities), working out together on Wednesday afternoons and finishing at 12 on Fridays!
- The whole team volunteers each quarter; from cleaning the Women’s House or serving up lunch at Sacred Heart Mission to helping pack parcels at St Kilda Mums, we aim to make a real difference within the community we operate in.
- Digital window: no emails after 6.30pm or before 7.30am – these after/before hours are ours to live and recharge in the world.. We all need to disconnect from work…constantly checking emails after hours is a creativity killer, a sleep wrecker and an anxiety promoter! There are of course instances in our work where we need to make exceptions, but they are just that!
- Our Upgraded Life program introduces a different focus each quarter from mind to body to spirit and beyond, where we’ve had an opportunity to educate ourselves on; Vedic Meditation with Jonni Pollard and Laura Poole, the power of Ayurveda in our diets, tools for better time management, the importance of sleep, how to connect with our inner self and even face reading (it’s a thing!)
- Our space is king, too. We take great pride in the presentation of our office from comfort to design – we have a clean desk policy (we find being organised and tidy leads to happier people!), a quiet room (where we can go and meditate any time we want) and the most extensive organic herbal teas collection you could imagine (LOVE Pukka!).
- Recharge and reconnect: at Mkt. we offer team members an additional paid leave day every quarter, this is designed to be used as down time to attend to personal needs, take a long weekend or just enjoy a duvet day! We also give everyone their birthday off to enjoy it with family and friends.
- Above all we promote a culture that is positive at its core, offers constructive and collaborative solutions to problems that may arise, we have an open door policy when it comes to feedback (we call them courageous conversations), thoughts and suggestions for improvement, we regularly eat lunch together, car pool, meditate as a group and we find that truly operating as a connected, engaged and thoughtful team is what sets us apart.
