“Keeping our team calm when customers pass on their stress can be a challenge”

In the 18 months since Owen Severn has been HR and Development Advisor with The A&A Group, the company has made the transition from small business to decidedly medium-sized. “We’ve managed to come through the recession and now we’re expanding. In the past year alone we’ve recruited 84 people, a net increase of 76,” he says.

As the company has grown, so have the challenges for Owen. Now, on top of his day-to-day HR responsibilities, Bupa is helping him take a strategic approach to retaining those staff and keeping the growing workforce healthy – two of his business’s key considerations.

“Bupa is the main benefit we offer,” says Owen. Once an employee has been with the company for three years, the company will pay their full premium. Soon, the scheme will be opened up to employees who have been there less than three years by giving them the option of paying towards it, making it an attractive benefit to more of the workforce, especially the many new starters.

In terms of keeping the teams, based in London and Wales, healthy, Owen says: “As a call centre, most of our team are sat in front of a computer all day. Although we provide them with the necessary tools such as back supports, back problems can still happen. But everyone I know who has dealt with Bupa has been impressed by the speed of service.”

And it’s not just physical health that concerns Owen and the company’s leadership. The day-to-day stresses of the job can also be a challenge. “Customers can get quite stressed when they are trying to sort out their insurance and that stress can get taken out on our staff. Keeping our team calm and stress-free, especially if they’ve just had a difficult phone call, can sometimes be a challenge. But as part of their Bupa membership, employees have access to a phone line where they can get through to a specialist.”

Owen adds: “From a business point of view, in terms of managing the health and absence of staff, it helps a lot. If an employee comes to us with any sort of health-related issue, we can rely on Bupa. And our team love the benefits such as the discounts on restaurants and attractions through Bupa Rewards.”

Finally, a further challenge for the business is changing the culture and making the business a healthier place to work. This should help boost wellbeing and, ultimately, productivity. “The staff canteen is quite limited, as are the vending machines,” Owen says, confessing that in terms of his own lifestyle, “I don’t make it to the gym as often as I should!”

But, says Owen, that’s changing: “Our account manager Ross Laurence is coming in to talk about other products we could benefit from. When he does, he will also be assisting with the internal promotion of healthy living. We plan to back that up with a healthier vending machine. So we’ve almost got Bupa to thank for the fact that we are now starting to take action.”

The A&A group is a medium-sized business working in motor insurance industry. They have 455 employees, working across two sites, of which 136 are covered by Bupa. The company has expanded rapidly following the recession, and their main challenge is ensuring staff are happy and healthy and want to keep working there.