BenWell: wellbeing help for businesses and individuals

The world is full of stress so it’s no wonder people are finding it difficult to cope. But there is help and support available, and it’s being made easier to access.

Ben, the automotive industry charity, has launched BenWell, a wellbeing platform, developed specifically for the automotive industry in partnership with Wellonomics.

Underpinning BenWell is an app and web portal which automotive businesses can use to take the emotional and physical temperature of their team, enabling companies to better support their employees with their wellbeing.

Each month, employees spend less than 10 minutes answering questions across six key personal wellbeing areas, and five management areas. Once completed, their personal dashboard gives a real-time view of their wellbeing and offers tailored support and guidance from experts in each area, accessed via mobile, tablet or desktop.

From an employer perspective, individual survey results are anonymised but, by tracking key wellbeing indicators via the dashboard, employers get a real time overview of how their employees are feeling about life at home and work, taking the guesswork out of wellbeing and enabling them to be proactive in their response.

If any potential wellbeing issues are identified, employers can create targeted solutions that address their people’s needs, building greater employee satisfaction, retention and productivity for the business.

Getting it off the ground

Ben has been working on the development of the platform since 2021 with wellbeing data specialists Wellonomics, and the new BenWell platform will now be rolled out to automotive businesses across the UK.

In addition to the app and web portal, the complete BenWell package also includes:

• Access to printed wellbeing documentation on a wide range of topics for use around the workplace
• Access to HR Manager Lite from Lawgistics – a HR and compliance platform designed for automotive employers that might not have their own HR function
• Access to a portfolio of Ben Training courses to help teams build self-awareness and good habits that promote resilient mental health

Matt Wigginton, Director of Partnerships, Engagement and Income at Ben, said: “Our most recent industry survey showed us that 94% of automotive workers have been personally affected by a health and wellbeing issue in the last 12 months. That figure is astonishing. Not only does this mean our automotive colleagues have been struggling, it also means that businesses are suffering too. Employee absence, reductions in productivity, low team morale – all of these things are caused by wellbeing issues and ultimately affect the health of your business.

“By partnering with data specialists Wellonomics, we have combined our unique insight into the automotive community with industry-leading technology to produce a platform that we truly believe will help to improve the wellbeing of the automotive family as a whole. We encourage employers to find out more about BenWell and explore the many ways it can help the people in your business who most need it.”

So many people are either struggling or know someone who is, and the BenWell platform is another tool to help them.