“Working as a team helps us reduce stress”

“We’ve carried out shopfitting for high street retailers right across Europe and we get a lot of repeat business,” says Jayne Johnson, one of the Leicester-based company’s three directors. “Some of our staff have been with us a long time and are very experienced. Our clients get used to working with somebody and expect a certain quality – it’s so important that we keep our staff happy and healthy so that they want to stay with us.”

The company started 10 years ago with a team of five that has grown to 15. “We work as a team and that helps us reduce stress. Our offices are all open plan so we sit together. If someone’s got a problem, they don’t hide in the corner thinking, ‘Crikey, this is all going to go wrong!’ – we talk about it. We also have men working on site through the night so the two main directors, Jon and business partner Mark, are available on the other end of a phone 24/7.”

Team-building activities are a big part of the company’s ethos: “Last week we took the whole team to The Adrenalin Jungle in Nottingham to do off-road karting, falconry and quad-biking. Next we’re going to the theatre, with dinner first. Two weeks after that, all the guys are going to the Leicester races. It’s their reward for working hard and that’s what we like to do.”

Providing healthcare is something Jayne views as key: “I think it’s a really great perk. We offer it to staff after their three-month probation. Being such a small busy company, every single one of the team is vital to us. If they are unwell, we want to make sure they are sorted and back at work feeling better as soon as possible. We care about them.

“We had Bupa cover for our family for many years and we had great service. As the company was getting bigger, we decided to get a company policy. This is our second year with Bupa as a business and I’m really pleased. We can't fault them.”

Blueridge Contracts is a small business carrying out shopfitting for high street retailers. The company, based in Leicester, has been operating for 10 years and now has 15 employees. It views Bupa membership as a valuable perk to help retain staff by keeping them happy and healthy.