Workplace Wellbeing Day 2023 – Wellbeing that Supports the Individual

Today, we celebrate IBEC’s Workplace Wellbeing Day 2023, the only national day in the European Union that focuses exclusively on the importance of employee health and wellbeing. As we reflect on the day’s theme, we are reminded of the responsibility that employers have in nurturing a culture that fosters a supportive modern workplace. It is a time for organisations to take stock, introspectively reflect, and examine the needs of their employees, while identifying opportunities to create a more fulfilling, productive, and harmonious environment.

At Datapac, we take pride in our forty-year history as Ireland’s leading ICT provider. In our years at the forefront of technological advancements we have witnessed many trends come and go. However, one constant factor which has contributed to our continued success and evolution: our people. Each member of our team plays a critical role in our mission to deliver exceptional solutions to our customers. Together, we are driven by a shared purpose and commitment to providing our customers with the highest level of service and support. Our team’s expertise, dedication, and hard work have been the driving force behind our success, enabling us to maintain our position as a leader in the space.

Datapac Wellbeing Calendar

At Datapac, we recognise that our team members are not merely contributors, but individuals who contend with unique challenges and difficulties in their personal and professional lives. While we wholeheartedly support Workplace Wellbeing Day as a crucial opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of employee wellbeing, we firmly believe that our duty to this task must extend far beyond a single day. Our company culture is built around the idea that we are here to help our people as the individuals they are, and we strive to create an environment that supports individuals’ physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.

To further reinforce our dedication to employee wellbeing, this Workplace Wellbeing Day we are proud to introduce the Datapac Wellbeing Calendar. This initiative embodies a tangible representation of our year-round commitment to supporting our team members’ wellbeing every day of the year through a range of events, activities, and initiatives that are designed to promote wellness both internally and externally in the community. Wellbeing Calendar events will be driven by a volunteer representative committee of employees, ensuring that they are relevant, effective and impactful.

Community Contribution Initiative (CCI)

We take great pride in supporting the contributions made by our teams to their communities, and our Community Contribution Initiative (CCI) reflects this philosophy. Over the span of our four decades, Datapac has engaged with numerous charitable organisations, volunteering and providing support to many worthy causes. We wanted to extend this opportunity to further enhance the wellbeing of our valued team members and holistically enhance and enrich people’s lives. The CCI, which launched this day last year, provides each of our employees with an additional three paid days of leave annually to volunteer with organisations of their choosing. This initiative represents a natural extension of our culture of giving back, which has long been a cornerstone of our values.

Through the CCI, our team members are empowered to utilise their time in the most fulfilling and self-actualising manner, free from the constraints and pressures so often imposed by modern life. In its inaugural year, the CCI has enabled many Datapac employees to give back to causes that are close to their hearts. These causes have ranged from diversity and inclusion initiatives to youth sports activities and community health and wellbeing charities. Some of the enriching experiences delivered through the Initiative’s first year include:

CodePlus

CodePlus is an initiative of Trinity Access Programmes (TAP), which aims to inspire girls and young women from traditionally disadvantaged backgrounds to consider careers in the IT industry. CodePlus provides students with valuable practical advice and roadmaps to success, including encouragement to pursue higher level maths and science subjects, which prepare them for third-level education.

Through our Community Contribution Initiative (CCI), our employees are actively supporting this initiative by sharing their personal experiences and career paths with the students through interactive talks and engaging Q&A sessions. Providing these female transition-year students with access to real-life role models helps to address the gender
imbalance that currently exists within the IT industry. Our team believes that promoting diversity and inclusivity within the technology sector is not only a moral imperative, but also a critical step towards driving innovation and progress.

Gorey Family Resource Centre

Gorey Family Resource Centre, located in Gorey, Co. Wexford, is a charitable organisation dedicated to improving the well-being of parents and children in the community. The Centre offers a wide range of support services, programmes, and activities to individuals and families, with a focus on fostering positive change and creating a safe and welcoming environment.

In line with our pledge to giving back to the community, Datapac was proud to lend our support to the Centre during their relocation to a new facility on Gorey Main Street. Our employees volunteered their time and expertise to assist with the move, including the use of a company vehicle. We recognise the invaluable role that the Centre plays in the local community, and we are honoured to have been able to contribute to the important work they do.

We firmly believe that our employees’ commitment to community service deserves recognition and support. The CCI is one way in which we are able to demonstrate our appreciation for their contributions and enhance wellbeing, while also fostering a culture of social responsibility within our organisation. We look forward to seeing the continued positive impact of the CCI in the years to come.

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Our employees’ wellbeing is of utmost importance, both within and beyond the workplace. To this end, our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is now entering its third year and represents a concerted effort to extend and elevate the support we provide to those in need.

Our objective is to deliver best-in-class support to our valued team members, irrespective of their location or circumstances. In line with this, through our EAP we partner with Laya Healthcare to offer a free, confidential, and round-the-clock counselling support service. This service has been transformative in empowering our team members to tackle their individual challenges, and we are delighted to note its impact on their lives and wellbeing. The service has also provided valued tools to those in leadership positions, creating greater opportunities for them to provide a greater level of support to their teams. Managers, after all, are individuals too and may need additional assistance when they find themselves navigating uncharted waters, dealing with challenges outside of both their expertise and comfort zone. We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring the continued availability of this service in the future.

We appreciate that true support can only be provided by addressing individuals’ needs holistically, beyond the scope of their employment. As such, our support resources are also readily available to the family members of our team, including multi-lingual support.

Individual Wellbeing

We proudly stand behind the excellent support provided through our more formal programmes to enhance the wellbeing of the Datapac team. These programmes are, and forever will be, constantly evolving and continuously improving. Evolution and progress is what has driven Datapac for over forty years, and we adopt this self-same mentality to our ever-growing range of support initiatives to bolster the wellbeing of the people who have delivered us to where we are today. Given scope of the human experience and the challenges that come with it, be it bereavement, physical and mental health, financial or legal issues, housing and relocation concerns, it would be hubris to expect each challenge to be neatly addressed by one or more of our more formal support structures. We hold fast to our ethos of helping people, not names on a list and we work together, as the Datapac team, to overcome any obstacle.

#WorkWell23

Dr. Karen O’Connor, General Manager, ICT Services and Solutions at Datapac

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