FM FOR ISSUU

HEALTH AND SAFETY
Employee Welfare
at the Forefront of
Remobilisation
The past number of months
have seen Aramark’s Health and
Safety team working extremely
hard to plan for the new working
environment that we have been
faced with returning to the office.
These plans included assessing the
reduction of the number of people in
buildings at any one time by introducing
shift patterns, staggered working hours
and the rotation of different working
groups. Throughout the unprecedented
period, the Health and Safety team used
their time to build their own COVID-19
Safety Management System. This system
included bespoke training programmes,
procedures, guidance and materials which
helped Aramark’s operational teams to
implement and execute best practices.
However, the Health and Safety team
realised throughout this time that for
Aramark, returning to work was about so
much more than just implementing safety
procedures, it was also about Aramark’s
employees’ welfare. Employee welfare has
been at the forefront of all of the Health
and Safety team’s remobilisation plans, as
employee and customer well-being is not
just about the physical risk but also about
the mental health strain, anxiety and worry
that comes along with the uncertainty over
the past number of months. The team
were aware that with larger workforces like
Aramark, it is likely that some employees
would have suffered bereavement,
illness or loss of income, whether it be
among their immediate family or close
friends. This would be a huge burden for
employees as they began to return to their
new working environment.
Keeping all of this in mind, Aramark’s
Health and Safety team developed an
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
and put a large emphasis on the mental
health and well-being of their employees,
by reassuring people that it is okay to feel
anxious or worried. The EAP has been and
still is available to all Aramark employees
across Northern Europe, 24 hours a day,
7 days a week to discuss any employment,
personal or family issues in confidence
with an external partner. By using the
EAP, employees can receive immediate
free support from a qualified counsellor
who is available to listen and support
them through difficult times. The team
also directs employees to a website which
hosts a wealth of information on different
subjects such as work, home life, health
and parenting.
Aramark’s Health and Safety team
continuously follows World Health
Organisation (WHO) and Irish
Government health and safety guidelines,
knowing that they need to be adaptable
as it is likely protocols will change as new
information emerges. For the team to
date, adaptability has been best achieved
through consistency, transparency and
constant communication.
MARTINA DONOHOE
Quality & Safety Director,
Aramark Northern Europe
FM AUTUMN-WINTER 2020/21 | 25