The challenge

Hitachi Rail is committed to creating a working environment where colleagues are supported in taking care of their wellbeing. The business wanted to put in place a clear, easily implemented wellbeing framework that sites could tailor and implement to address local wellbeing priorities.

The goals were to create a workplace where work is planned and supported with wellbeing in mind, where leaders understand and respond to wellbeing challenges, and where colleagues have access to facilities and information to support their own wellbeing.

Our solution

We worked with Wellbeing Champions from across Hitachi Rail to identify wellbeing challenges and needs, understand the practicalities of providing wellbeing support in different operational locations, and agree the priorities that any company-wide wellbeing framework needed to help sites address.

From that insight work, we created BeWell – a flexible, company-wide wellbeing framework for sites to bring to life locally. This framework would help to create working environments where wellbeing is discussed openly, treated with the same level of priority as safety and production quality, and where people know why and how to look after their wellbeing.

BeWell is structured around five wellbeing pillars, supporting people to:

• feel physically well
• feel mentally well
• feel valued and included
• feel financial well, and
• feel able to learn and grow.

Within each pillar, we provided information and learning, ideas for facilities, activities and local support that sites could provide, communication, and engagement tools to create awareness and encourage conversations about each area of wellbeing.

Additionally, the framework provided a clear seven-step approach for sites to follow in order to get a local BeWell programme up and running on their sites. This included clarifying accountability and responsibility for wellbeing, identifying wellbeing needs, creating a wellbeing plan, securing budget, involving leaders, communicating and involving colleagues in wellbeing programmes, and measuring and improving.

The outcome

BeWell is being launched throughout Hitachi Rail during 2023. We look forward to sharing the outcomes of the programme later in the year as sites identify priorities and measure progress.