We're striving to become a great place to work. We believe it's important to live our values and own it openly.
A big part of that is making sure Abri is a safe space for all colleagues to be their authentic selves. For most of us, we spend more time at work than doing anything else. But life doesn’t stop just because we’re at work. And at times, we all experience personal situations that impact us in different ways.
Without support, dealing with personal issues can be a very isolating and lonely position to be in. So what can organisations like ourselves do about this? We believe it's about encouraging conversation, creating a culture where people feel safe to share what they are going through and ultimately, creating a more understanding, empathetic and caring environment. It's all about inclusivity - ensuring that every colleague feels heard, and that their experiences and challenges are listened to and supported.
How can we do this? We need to provide opportunities for learning. And create safe spaces for sharing. That's when we had the idea for The Elephant in the Room.
What is The Elephant in the Room?
The saying 'the elephant in the room' is described as 'a major problem or controversial issue which is obviously present but is avoided as a subject for discussion.' It might be that the 'issue' or topic is quite personal. Perhaps it's related to our health and wellbeing. Or maybe it's something that just isn't really talked about much in society.
So we launched a new campaign called the Elephant in the Room. It's a campaign about sharing information and inviting colleagues to open up the conversation around those traditionally 'off limit' topics. So far, we've had conversations on the menopause, baby loss and grief and bereavement. We've got talks on anxiety and depression coming up shortly, and there will be more topics as time goes on.
We believe that by opening up and connecting with one another during the hardest of times, we’ll find comfort and support. That’s what the Elephant in the Room campaign is all about.
How do the sessions work?
We opened the floor to colleagues to suggest what topics they would like to talk about and went from there. The first suggestion we had was to talk about menopause in the work place.
The menopause is a natural stage in a woman’s life and is something we should be able to talk openly about. Naturally, it can be a difficult subject for most women to discuss, particularly in the workplace, but this needs to be normalised. A lot of women can feel self-conscious or reluctant to talk about such a sensitive topic. Therefore, it is important that employers are ready to have open and supportive conversations. By talking about it openly and raising awareness, we hope that women will the confidence to ask for help and support if they need it.
Once a session's topic has been chosen, we go out to the business to ask if there is anyone who might feel comfortable to talk about their own experiences. When we have volunteers, we ensure they feel comfortable to talk before having the conversation which we record and then share alongside an article which provides colleagues with further information, advice, support and guidance on the topic.
What has the response been?
The conversations we have are often very powerful, and can be emotional too, but the response from colleagues is always really positive. Not only do colleagues share their support for the volunteer speakers, but many also open up about their own struggles on the comment section of our articles and on Yammer. In turn we see colleagues across the business feel more comfortable in sharing their stories and struggles with each other outside of The Elephant in the Room. And it opens up the opportunity for colleagues with similar experience to connect and support each other, reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation.
We want to create a culture of inclusivity and of kindness. Where everyone feels comfortable to be their authentic selves, and to not feel isolated by their personal challenges. By running The Elephant in the Room, we can not only do this but also connect colleagues with similar experiences.
