All together now

Gabby Austen Browne, co-founder of Diversity Ally, in the UK, says employers must provide inclusive support to keep employee – and delegate – wellbeing at the forefront: We have all heard of that statistic recognising the events industry as one of the top five most stressful careers in the world. Believe me, I know. Rewind three years and I was overweight, lacking energy, tired all the time and super stressed with low-level depression, and I wasn’t alone. Studies have shown that 46% of the events industry uses alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs to cope. I knew something had to change, so I took the personal responsibility to overhaul my lifestyle because, at the time, the support just wasn’t there in my company. However, thankfully another positive that has come out of the pandemic is that there is much more support from companies when it comes to staff health and wellbeing. As much as we can and should take responsibility for our own wellbeing, it is important we are also supported to do this in our professional lives, too. Wellbeing is high on the company agenda. Wellbeing and inclusion Before we pat ourselves on the back, did you know that there is such a thing as wellbeing privilege? I know, you’re probably reading this thinking, “Oh God, here we go again, I’m getting told off for having access to certain things I didn’t ask for, or that I worked hard for”; but hear me out. When others don’t have wellbeing equality we can’t bang on about how we have an inclusive and equitable workplace or how important this is to our business, because inclusivity is so closely linked to wellbeing and equity. Inclusive wellbeing and equity means us all having access to the same support, benefits and opportunities to take care of our wellbeing, while still feeling an integral part of the team and not being marginalised or discriminated against because of our different lifestyles or experiences. Unsurprisingly, discrimination has a particularly negative effect on the lives of ethnic minority, LGTBQ+ and disabled employees, with around a third of employees who have been subjected to racism or discrimination at work [in the UK], taking sick leave as a result. What can be considered wellbeing privilege and how can we address it? It’s a real privilege to have a job that allows us to take breaks as and when we need them or to take time out to exercise or rest during the day. It’s a privilege if your company offers benefits such as medical insurance, gym membership or has counselling available. Or maybe you’re lucky enough to have a short commute or you have a dedicated home office for when you are working remotely. Studies show the more wellness privilege we have, the more likely we are to be flourishing in all respects, both at work and home. So, let’s make sure we provide equal access to tools and resources, and create a fair system of recognition and reward, as part of our wellbeing strategy, so that everyone in the workplace can flourish.