The wellbeing team at healthcare consulting firm, Cello Health, set up a calendar of 30 weeks of free exercise classes for staff and organised seminars on mindfulness and nutrition. An occupational therapist also provided live-sessions on mental resilience and one-to-one personal reflection sessions.

The US company, which has three offices in London and one in Farnham, Surrey, also ran a range of virtual social activities from charity quizzes to a bake-off and a photography competition with leaders hosting quizzes and cocktail making sessions and catch-ups.

Staff have always had easy and ready access to the Leadership Team, and this did not change while everyone worked from home during the pandemic, but the firm introduced AsktheLT@cellohealth.com to give all staff the opportunity to ask any questions, as well as organisation-wide update meetings, rather than the usual ones held within operating units to ensure all staff are kept informed. Several business units also ran a monthly nomination for their colleague super heroes with those nominated receiving a small prize.

At the start of the pandemic Cello Health surveyed staff to find out how they were coping with working at home, what they were finding difficult, and what they needed in order to be supported with flexible solutions for those home schooling and with caring responsibilities, including staggering their hours to suit their needs.

Company-wide initiatives to bring people together have included virtual bake-offs, quiz nights and Monday morning coffee sessions.