Brian joined ESB in 2016 as IT project manager after which he embraced a complete career change and moved into the area of health promotion. He tells us why he moved roles, the importance of promoting wellbeing in the workplace and his love of Bohemians FC!
Tell us about yourself?
I am from Dublin, currently living in Ashtown. I have one son, who is aged thirteen. Outside of work I enjoy many sports and staying active, but my biggest passion is supporting local football with trips to Dalymount Park to watch Bohemians top of the list.
What is your role in ESB?
I joined ESB in February 2016 as an IT Project Manager. In the summer of 2019, I moved into the Health and Wellbeing team as a health promotion manager. My role is to support all employees across the organisation to engage in activities that promote good wellbeing, both in the workplace and outside in their personal lives.
Why did you decide to embrace a career change?
I’ve worked in a variety of IT roles since joining the workforce. However, health and wellbeing has been a huge passion for me, and I embarked on a journey of continuous education in this field over 10 years ago. I always planned at some point to move into a role involving wellbeing. In 2019, the role of a health promotion manager was advertised internally, and I was delighted to be successful in getting the job. The previous years spent studying and learning proved very worthwhile.
How does this role align with our Net Zero strategy?
The delivery of our strategy is underpinned by our values of being Courageous, Caring, Driven and Trusted. In Health and Wellbeing, we live by these values but especially the value of caring where we aim to keep everyone safe and healthy.
Tell us about the health and wellbeing programmes being offered by ESB?
In recent years we have added a considerable list of new programmes that are available to more than 9,000 of our colleagues. This includes a peer-to-peer Mental Health First Aid support, a 24/7 confidential counselling service with employees also having access to an internal employee assistance programme.
This year, we launched a new menopause workplace initiative that aims to better support women in the workplace. A big part of this programme is to increase awareness and educate staff around the subject of menopause.
Another new initiative, Our Be Active programme, which is focused on encouraging us all to not just exercise, but to move more regularly throughout the day.
Why is it so important to offer an effective health and wellbeing programme for employees?
We spend a significant amount of our day in the workplace, and this means the workplace can have a huge impact on our health and wellbeing. A number of studies point towards a positive co-relation between good workplace wellbeing programmes and healthier, more engaged employees. General concerns in society around stress and mental health also give rise to ensuring we provide supports to employees who may need advice or counselling in these areas.
What are the most popular programmes being offered in ESB?
The monthly wellbeing webinar is very popular with some of these events attracting upwards of 500 employees joining us live. The interest in our Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) programme has been exceptional with staff volunteering to join the programme to help support other colleagues. Be Active is also proving very popular with significant numbers joining in the campaigns throughout the year.
What advice would you give graduates and new starters to ESB with respect to taking up such programmes?
We have a comprehensive list of wellbeing support and activities that are available on our internal communications hub. We also have several different sports clubs in ESB which are a great way to meet people from around the organisation and get involved in a health-related activity.
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