Voluntary and community groups can be great places to work, with their positive values and contribution to making a difference in society. They can also be stressful and difficult if the organisation is working with few resources and with communities experiencing trauma. Looking after your team is vital.
Think about how you will support your team. You could consider building the cost of reflective practice sessions or counselling into funding applications. Give employees chances to meet with others through team meetings and social events. Recognise the different needs of your team and make sure that everyone is included. That might include days off for Eid or other religious holidays, social events that everyone can take part in, and designated places to pray.
Practical ideas to embed wellbeing into your team
- Being clear with people that you do not expect them to work outside their hours (and modelling this behaviour yourself).
- Consider holding online meetings for 50 minutes (rather than an hour), as that’s likely to give people a break between meetings (make sure you start on time though.)
- Consider holding a standing meeting or encouraging people to move around and change positions during the meeting.
- Embed a short wellbeing exercise (a ‘mindful minute’) in some meetings.
- Saying thank you. You may think you already do, but acknowledging when someone does a good job is a very powerful way to make them feel good. However, saying ‘thank you for your hard work’ could be improved by making it more specific, e.g. ‘I really appreciate how you put in the extra effort to get that newsletter out on time’, or ‘thank you for taking the minutes – I liked the way they were simple and direct’. It’s also a good idea to give these acknowledgements as near to the time as possible.
- If you can afford it consider signing up to an Employee Assistance Programme, to offer support around a variety of issues including stress and anxiety.
Other wellbeing resources