Full Fat+: Our cultural programme to support workplace wellbeing

Working at a creative-cultural comms agency, you would be right to expect a staff culture that bears resemblance to the kaleidoscope of briefs the teams here are across. That’s exactly the ambition of our employee programme, Full Fat+.

January 2020 saw a paradigm shift for the working world, as a global pandemic took hold, and demanded a change of approach from workforces. It was clear that new methods needed to be established in order to look after the mental health of the team and keep them engaged and motivated. Prior to this, Full Fat did have a benefits and wellbeing programme but in such unprecedented times, the agency recognised the need to give it a revamp guided by their values and principles, and to deliver in the areas of creativity, innovation, empathy and individuality.

In support of self-love

The pandemic sadly contributed to a sharp rise in people suffering poor mental health, with us all being more susceptible to feelings of isolation, anxiety, and experiencing a lack of control. We wanted to provide opportunities for the team to try new things and step outside of their comfort zone in the pursuit of self-care, so the Full Fat+ programme created a Wellness Tuesdays series - monthly paid-for wellbeing and mindfulness sessions for the whole team to attend. WFH playlists, Headspace subscriptions and access to wellness resources have also eased team stressors throughout a period marred by anxiety and isolation.

*War Inna Babylon exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Arts*

Do you, boo

Research shows that employees who feel they can be their true selves at work, feel most valued by their employer. Full Fat+ was designed by the agency to celebrate individuality by cultivating a workplace where employees can feel at home and gain access to opportunities and experiences that strengthen their sense of self. This is in keeping with wider agency operational initiatives, such as the flexible working policy; Team members have the option to start anytime between 8-10am, to better suit everybody’s own personal working style, demonstrating trust and granting agency both in and out of the office.

Full Fat+ recognises the importance of intersectionality and diversity within the programme, and the monthly paid-for experiences, aiming to stimulate creativity, inspire new ideas, as well as offer a level of fantasy and escapism, are derived from the brilliant differences among us. Exhibition and museum trips where teams have been able to learn about their role models, their history, and their inspirations alike have been an influential part of the programme. Last year’s museum visits included War Inna Babylon, Tate Modern Lates and the Rooms Through Time exhibition.

During my time heading up Full Fat+, I’ve aimed to bring unique experiences to the table, ranging from sending out at-home bake-along kits, joining with teams virtually for a guided facial during lockdown, inviting practitioners to host meditation and Reiki healing sessions, learning emotional freedom techniques, and a personal fave - booking astrology readings. The programme aims to include something for everyone

Being the change

The Full Fat culture is feedback driven so when it comes to Full Fat+, all team members share suggestions and give feedback for future programming. The agency’s bi-annual employee happiness survey then allows us to map how this is impacting happiness, productivity and creativity levels. Recent surveys revealed that 100% of team members would recommend Full Fat as a good place to work, with company culture ranking 4.6/5, and 100% of respondents feeling they could be their true selves at work. So we are doing something right!

So what’s still brewing might you ask? A cultural calendar to promote greater awareness of diverse celebrations, plus volunteering opportunities organised collaboratively with the DEI committee are in the works.

People have asked me how I would describe the culture here, and I often say “It’s very Gen Z”. Forward-thinking, adventurous, stimulating, caring and FUN are other adjectives that come to mind. One thing’s for sure, we don’t do anything semi-skimmed around here…