Your Stories & Events

Let's focus on you

7 days ago

0 comments

With every area of our UK and Ireland region living with increased social restrictions, including school closures and the widespread call to stay at home as much as possible, this most recent bout of ‘lockdowns’ may be the hardest yet.

And everyone’s circumstance is different. Many of our own colleagues are supporting essential services to remain operational and will continue to head into the workplace. Others will continue to work from home, and may face the challenge of balancing home schooling. There will also be colleagues in the UK being placed on furlough – some for the first time.

From March to September last year, we ran the Make Yourself at Home series, designed to support colleague wellbeing. While this focused on the things people could do to enhance their wellbeing in their new surroundings, this time we want to focus on the mental and physical health of all colleagues – no matter what your experience is going to be through this time.

Supporting you

In the last series, we focused on 22 different topics, ranging from how to make the most of technology, to making our homes as clean as they can be, and the positive routines we can put in place to battle feelings of isolation. In December 2020, we also launched our new wellbeing offer to colleagues, Talk, complete with a new employee assistance programme.

This time around, we’ll look at emerging themes affecting colleagues across the region, such as:

Dealing with isolation and relationships
Loss and separation from loved ones
Support for those continuing to work on the front line
Advice for working parents, carers and those home schooling
Keeping physically and mentally well through lockdown
Supporting those shielding/cocooning, on furlough, or on long-term sickness

Tell us how you are

We also want to know how you are feeling, and what would help you to get through this time. Through this short form, you can help us to understand your needs, and to develop appropriate responses. We will also look to harness the positive power of the thousands of colleagues in the UK and Ireland, sharing the huge range of skills and experience we have for the benefit of us all.

Let’s get through this together.

Share this story About sharing

Send to Kindle

Don't skate on thin ice

Over the festive period, did you check your mulled wine wasn’t too hot to drink? Or take a trolley to pick up the big Christmas food shop, instead of straining to carry a heavy basket? These are simple risk assessments we all make in everyday life to keep ourselves and others safe. Yet we sometimes forget to apply the same at work and keep up-to-date with crucial HSEQ changes.

Mental ‘elf’ comes first

In December 2020, we encouraged everyone to put their mental ‘elf’ front and centre by taking part in Festive 5 – our regional festive Stop Hunger fundraiser. With your support, the activity collectively raised more than £2,700 that will go towards helping those most vulnerable within our local communities.

Start the New Year as we mean to go on

Back to work but feeling a bit out of sorts? It can take a while to get back into a work routine after a break, but be sure not to let safety take a back seat and help us to avoid the January 'bruise'.

A big thank you from Stop Hunger

Over the past year, the kindness of you and your Sodexo colleagues was seen once again in the many donations, fundraising activities and volunteering hours contributed to Stop Hunger's charity partners, enabling them to support those most in need through the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. To bring your impact to life, watch a special thank you video from the Foundation's charity partners.

New Reward Hub coming soon

We recognise that everyone is unique and have designed our rewards package and wellbeing, community and recognition programmes to better support your quality of life. From January 2021, you’ll be able to see all your Sodexo Rewards in one central place – the new Sodexo Reward Hub, built for you – with easy login.

Getting to know your new EAP

On 1 December, Sodexo launched its new wellbeing offer to colleagues, Talk. Central to this host of tools and services is a new employee assistance programme (EAP), provided by Vita Health Group.

Making a difference to young people

New volunteering opportunities are now available on the Stop Hunger Goodness Platform, including a virtual Christmas messaging service supporting YMCA. With more than 9,000 residents supported by YMCA over the festive period, the anonymous messaging service lets vulnerable young people know that there are people that truly care.

Paul’s (literally) a MasterChef!

It has been revealed that Paul Hood, a development chef for Sodexo's Heritage Portfolio has been selected as one of 32 contestants for the new series of MasterChef The Professionals. The 34 year old can't reveal too much about his time on the famous show, but hopes he brought the company's food values to the silver screen.

10 top tips to fight fatigue this winter

Are you struggling to get going in the morning, or are you hitting a wall of fatigue in the afternoon? As shorter days and cold, winter nights start to draw in, we take a look at how what and when you eat impacts your energy levels - for better and for worse - with these top tips from David Mulcahy, our Sodexo Culinary Ambassador.