With more demands on our time, both personally and professionally, prioritising mental health has become more important than ever. At Brew Digital, we understand that fostering a supportive and healthy workplace is not just beneficial for our employees but is also crucial for our overall success as a company. Positive mental health leads to increased productivity, enhanced creativity, and a more engaged workforce, all of which are essential for driving innovation and achieving our goals.
In recognition of World Mental Health Day, we are proud to share 10 initiatives we have implemented to promote positive mental health within our workplace. These efforts are designed to create an environment where our team members feel valued, supported, and empowered to thrive both professionally and personally.
Tailored 1-1 meetings
We provide a flexible environment for every person to thrive with a working structure that suits them. In addition to weekly stand-ups, everyone gets a weekly scheduled one-to-one meeting with their line managers to discuss any issues, ask any questions, and ensure everything is running smoothly. Again, flexibility is paramount, and the meetings are tailored to the working style of the individual to ensure they feel supported.
Monthly mental health check-ins
One thing that is great about our team is how open and supportive we are. Nobody ever feels like they’re obligated to maintain a “stiff upper lip” – if we’re having an off day, we don’t shy away from acknowledging it. But we also like to do a more structured check-in.  First implemented by the Digital marketing team, as a team every month we use an emotion wheel to track our mood and then talk about it in the safety of the squad. It’s a really useful way of checking in, identifying what might be niggling us – or what’s been great – in any particular month.
Learning days for skill development
We allow employees to use 10% of their time on personal development, and the benefits of this are numerous. For one, it boosts morale as it allows staff to feel invested in, knowing that we support their personal development and growth. Better still, it demonstrates our commitment to that growth by ensuring that employees don’t have to do it in their own time, allowing for a better work-life balance. Of course, by providing employees time to develop new skills, we benefit too, as we have a continually upskilling workforce.
Flexible working hours
People have commitments outside of work, and we believe that everyone deserves to live their life without the constant burden of work-related stress. We offer flexible working arrangements to ensure our team can manage personal commitments, such as attending medical appointments or doing the school run. Our Managing Director sets the standard by scheduling time to pick up his children from school, demonstrating the work-life balance we wholeheartedly support. This is precisely how a healthy workplace should operate.
Remote-first policy for work-life balance
Flexible working hours are great, but if you still have to commute to the office, that can still be a huge drain on your time, your wallet, and your emotional well-being. We are a remote-first company and have been since before it was cool (and subsequently uncool again). We still have offices across the world, and teams still go there to meet, collaborate, and change up their environment, but there’s never an expectation that people will be there. We trust people to work – wherever they are.
Friday fun meetings
We have all been in meetings that should have been an email, but sometimes, believe it or not, meetings can be fun! As a remote-first company, the times we see each other in person are few and far between – especially as some of the team are in other countries! To try and retain a vibrant, collegial culture, we think it’s important to take time to just exist as a team, rather than be laser-focused on work all the time. That’s why some of the teams have Friday morning meetings that are decidedly not productive, but a chance for bonding and decompressing. We often play games, which is a real opportunity to learn who in the team is secretly ultra-competitive…
Wednesday updates for improved communication
Every Wednesday, the whole company comes together for an All-Hands meeting, where the senior leadership updates staff on the latest developments, both commercial and internal. We are very responsive to the needs and thoughts of our employees, so quarterly surveys are sent to everyone to complete (anonymously if they like) and that data is then fed back to everyone, along with any changes or rationale that the senior leadership team feels appropriate. These meetings are fantastic for keeping in touch with the wider company and staying in the loop with what everybody is working on.
Generous holiday policy
This is always hard to explain for people outside of the company (I sometimes still can’t wrap my head around it either), but we have a very generous holiday policy. We want our teams to take holiday when they need it, and trust them not to abuse the system. By fostering a culture of mutual trust and respect, we empower our employees to take the time they need to recharge and maintain their well-being, ultimately contributing to a more motivated and productive team.
Office dogs!
For the dog lovers among you, this is a big one. We have dog-friendly offices, meaning you can bring your pooch along with you should you decide to work in an office for the day. This is great for morale, as who doesn’t love a dog! But, on a more practical level, it helps team members who have dogs with separation anxiety, or who don’t want to pay the (ever-increasing) doggy daycare fees. Of course, to ensure a harmonious environment, we coordinate the presence of office dogs to prevent any clashes and accommodate staff who may not be keen on dogs or have allergies, allowing them to plan their time accordingly.
Positive environment for employee development
We take career progression seriously. Nobody wants to feel like they’re stuck doing the same job forever with no opportunity for growth – even if the job they do is great. One way we do this is with the aforementioned learning days, but another is monthly progress check-ins with line managers to discuss objectives, goals, and opportunities for personal and professional development. These are more formal meetings than the weekly check-ins, with documented discussions and visible targets, so everybody knows what they are working towards.
Following employee feedback in a quarterly survey, we also have annual reviews in place now, to better outline strengths, areas for development, and clearly determine opportunities for career progression.
At Brew Digital, we believe that prioritising mental health and fostering a supportive work environment are fundamental to our success. By implementing these initiatives, we aim to create a workplace where our employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to excel both professionally and personally. We are committed to continuously listening to our team and evolving our practices to ensure that Brew Digital remains a place where everyone can thrive. As we celebrate World Mental Health Day, we invite other organisations to join us in making mental well-being a priority, recognising that a healthy and happy workforce is the key to innovation and growth. Together, we can build a future where work-life balance and mental health are at the forefront of our professional lives.
