<aside> ❤️ We recognise that sometimes work can be overwhelming and that often the demands of both work and life cannot be separated. Everybody needs support to cope with the multiple challenges which being a human can present. Each individual’s support needs will be different, because each and every person are unique.
The intention of this policy is to create a framework for holding our team members with care, ensuring that our value of love is woven into the way in which we work, in recognition that sometimes we all need a helping hand. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to mental and emotional wellbeing. We all start from where we are. Wellbeing is a holistic practice and we believe it is up to each individual to determine their own needs.
This policy also aligns with our value of equity, as we encourage every team member to seek tailored support according to their own needs, rather than following an equality driven approach which would suggest that everyone accesses the same support (e.g. from the same health provider).
It is difficult to create a policy which caters for this open approach to supporting mental and emotional wellbeing so we intend to iterate this as we go, and provide the team with the freedom and space to experiment and find what works. We see this as a core business essential, which enables each individual employed as part of the core Catalyst team to contribute in the best way possible.
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<aside> 👉 This wellbeing policy will explain the types of mental and emotional health support which you can access if you feel that you need it, the current upper limits of the annual budget for the whole team, the process to follow if you think that you need support, and answer any questions.
We are open to hearing suggestions for support which might not be covered here, noting this is intended as a guide. In the spirit of our value of collectivism, decisions about where to direct the annual team wellbeing budget will be made as a team, and according to need, trusting that our value of equity will guide how we approach these decisions.
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<aside> 💸 This table is intended to give an idea of the range of costs you might expect when approaching a support provider. We believe that each individual should have the ability to select their own support according to need, which is why we do not subscribe to one health provider. We see the cost as a core business essential, not as a employee benefit or expense.
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[Upper and lower cost examples
](https://accurate-botany-acb.notion.site/bfb1fa3d003683ea9393812024906c5a)
<aside> ⏰ Generally, most support arrangements will last for a specific duration. For instance, therapy support might be arranged weekly for 12 weeks. Therapeutic Coaching may be fortnightly for 28 weeks. The first step is to contact your provider, explore how long the support may be needed for in your case and discover the potential cost. Anything costing up to £100 per session, for a duration of 12 weeks (weekly) will generally be supported (total cost £1,200). Bring the outline proposal to the team for discussion. See the process section below for more guidelines.
Above this threshold amount of £1,200 per person, it is recommended that the team check in on the available budget again and discuss whether there are any other collective needs to be taken into account. The team wellbeing budget is currently £3,600 per year, or £300 per month. We add £720 to this to cover tax, because this is considered a core business expense, not a benefit.
As the team grows, the intention is that the budget would increase alongside the training budget. It currently represents below 2.5% of our core operating costs. It is to be directed according to collective need and consensus, on the assumption that support needs will vary and fluctuate for each person within the annual period. There are some support needs which may be more appropriately allocated from the training budget.
We are developing a complementary decision making protocol for the team based on sociocratic principles.
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<aside> 💡 If the need is relating to training or to your personal development, we have a separate training budget which can be accessed This is also set at £3,600 per year, or broadly £1,200 per core team member. Some types of coaching may be better classed as training, depending on the nature of the support service.
Medical costs relating to ongoing physical ailments or injuries are not covered, this policy is intended to cover mental health and emotional wellbeing only.
This policy will be part of a wider suite of policies relating to wellbeing, including leave policies, carer policy, compassionate leave policy, and more.
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<aside> 👥 This policy is an experiment and a complete departure from the usual corporate wellbeing approach. The basic assumption is that a team which operates on a high level of trust, with genuine care for one another, can allocate resources equitably and hold each other with care.
Decisions about where the budget is directed, to whom, and when, need to be made collectively for this to work. A dialogue about the duration of the support, the overall cost and a broad outline of the need is required before starting with a provider, so that the team are aware and the budget can be allocated and monitored collectively.
In some instances it might be that the cost is better directed from the training budget, or that a different provider can be suggested, for example. An open dialogue is recommended, whilst maintaining a respect for privacy and personal boundaries in terms of the nature of the support and the need. There is no need to disclose detailed information about why you need the support if that is uncomfortable for you.
More information on specific scenarios will be documented in our decision making protocol.
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