Heist-op-den-Berg
Ann Ponnet is the HR and Organisation Team Coordinator at Heist-op-den-Berg. She helps to draw up the HR policy for local management. Their number-one priority is employee wellbeing in all its forms: physical, social and mental. Ann: “We want to support health in a professional manner.”
“I think it’s important that we have a credibleand well-founded wellbeing policy," explains Ann. “That’s why we use a network of external partners.” One such partner is the IDEWE Group. The external service for prevention and protection at work supports Heist-op-den-Berg in conducting its risk assessment every four years and with ad hoc wellbeing challenges at work.
Risk assessment using the RAPSi tool
A professional wellbeing policy starts with a thorough analysis of the risks at work. In December 2020, Heist-op-den-Berg relied on IDEWE’s RAPSi (risk assessment on psychosocial aspects) tool.
Ann: “We first drew up a questionnaire for the risk assessment together with IDEWE’s experts. We helped to determine which subjects were covered and the experts offered their professional advice.”
“IDEWE’s experts then took the risk assessment almost completely out of our hands. They received the completed questionnaires, studied our employees’ responses and formulated recommendations to strengthen our wellbeing policy. The questionnaire was also carried out at twenty-four other local authorities at the same time, so we’ll be able to compare the results easily.”
Only with an open mind can you reach a consensus on solutions that have a lasting impact.
Finger on the pulse
Organisations are required to carry out a risk assessment every five years. But Ann and her team also keep a finger on the pulse in the intervening period. “Sometimes we find an issue bubbling away within our teams, meaning we have to take quick and decisiveaction," says Ann. “We also rely on IDEWE’s expertise to do so.”
Ann: “Unfortunately, we’ve already had to deal with an employee taking their own life. This had a huge impact on the team, of course. Normally, we would involve the managers to help find a solution. However, as suicide is such a sensitive topic, the IDEWE Group assumed full responsibility for the follow-up.”
“Team members were able to talk to IDEWE’s experts. They looked at what each member of staff needed. The experts came up with thoughtful solutions to support the grievingprocess: heartfelt conversations with a confidential counsellor, plus space to grieve or a few days off to clear their head. In such a situation, you as an employer are hugely relieved that you can count on the professionalism of your partners.”
A lasting impact on everyone’s wellbeing
Local management brings together all the expertise in a psychosocial-medical team (PSMT) four times a year. The team includes Ann Ponnet, the deputy managing director, an HR and organisational expert, Karen De Groof, IDEWE’s occupational doctor, and Ruth Luyckx, IDEWE’s prevention advisor on psychosocial aspects.
Ann: "We discuss psychosocial and medical issues during these meetings. If there are any problems at work, these will be discussed confidentially and in complete honesty. Only with an open mind can you reach a consensus on solutions that have a lasting impact.”
A culture of wellbeing
Whether Heist-op-den-Berg’s wellbeing policy will have an impact remains to be seen. As Ann states: “We’ll only really know after the next risk assessment in 2025. We’ll then be able to compare the results with the first RAPSi. ‘Measuring is knowing’.”
“I feel that the subject of wellbeing is very much alive in our organisation," adds Ann. “We asked each team to work on the results of the initial risk assessment and draw up a wellbeing plan. We also launched the ’t zal Welzijn project. We’re working with the teams on a new wellbeing offer with the goal of strengthening physical, social and mental health within our organisation. The reactions and enthusiasm have certainly surprised me – in a good way!”
“Finally, we’re promoting the online learning platform GoodHabitz. Employees sign up to webinars to grow on a professional level. We’ve noticed that topics such as ‘avoiding burnout’ or ‘time management’ are being looked at in large numbers. This shows that our employees are taking a positive, conscious approach to wellbeing – and that can only have a positive effect on the degree of happiness within our organisation.”
Ready to grow from risk assessment to a lasting culture of wellbeing?
Together with IDEWE, you turn insights and data into actions that deliver long-term impact.