Workplace Wellbeing: Making it Happen

On 13 June we held a webinar called “Workplace Wellbeing: Making it Happen”, facilitated by Dr Fiona Moir and Dr Renske van den Brink, the directors of Connect Communications. It was well attended by a variety of people from the veterinary profession including employers, employees and team members in different roles.

The webinar followed on from ongoing discussion with the profession about the arguments and practicalities for prioritising mental health and wellness at work. While it is known that burnout affects attrition and that there are benefits to optimising the wellbeing of veterinary teams, only some leaders and team members support the idea of adopting wellbeing initiatives. Others appear less keen. The webinar explored why business leaders and employees may wish to consider implementing wellbeing initiatives and how to start shifting the workplace culture. It included a practical discussion about the various drivers that motivate people to change, along with ways to have difficult conversations, for instance, when team members have different views about prioritising wellbeing or about what might be done. The focus of this webinar was to look at the ‘business case’ for optimising wellbeing (e.g. the purpose, the feasibility and what the benefits and risks might be of acting or not acting), along with the practicalities of enabling organisational change.

The webinar sparked a lively and valuable discussion from participants via chat. Those present indicated that some of the main workplace issues at the moment affecting the wellbeing of veterinary teams include staffing problems, unpleasant interactions with members of the public, and worries about what might be written on ‘Google reviews’. Participants outlined some positive wellbeing initiatives that are already in place in clinics.

You can watch a recording of the webinar above and the presentation slides can be accessed here.