5 work-life balance initiatives

Supporting staff wellbeing

Paul Banton

26 August 2026

Staff are undoubtedly the biggest and most important asset of any organisation because they support your purpose and drive everything you do.

Therefore, your reputation and success are wholly down to the strength and commitment of your team, and their connection with what you stand for. So, looking after the people who make you what you are is critical.

At Ruddocks, our team are the reason for our 140+ years of service (some of our employees have been with us for over 40 years!).

And as a family-run organisation, we genuinely care about every staff member. This culture has been developed through our leaders, past and present, who prioritise looking after the team.

Particularly over the last few years, we have invested in practical and sustainable ways to support both the physical and mental wellness of our colleagues.

Here are 5 work-life balance and staff wellbeing initiatives we have implemented that your business could adopt as well.

1. Prioritising staff’s mental health

Recognising the need to better understand mental health issues, we’ve introduced training courses and hosted dedicated workshops provided by Mental Health First Aid England.

This significantly helped our team learn more about the subtle signs of someone who may be struggling with their mental health and how we could best support them.

One of the greatest takeaways from this training has been understanding how important it is to ask twice. Often, the automatic response when someone asks if you are ok is ‘I’m fine’. If you ask the question again, you might just get a different response!

Speaking to the team afterwards, there was a real sense of feeling empowered to offer real support as and when it is needed.

Providing external support for employees

Additionally, in 2023, we’ve partnered with The Printing Charity, a UK charitable organisation that specifically supports people within the print sector.

Since starting our collaboration with the charity, we’ve unlocked an incredible free resource providing a wide range of benefits for everyone in our team as well as their loved ones.

From confidential advice and financial guidance to mental health support, The Printing Charity has become an extraordinary tool for our staff members.

But one of the most helpful aspects of this wellbeing community is the 24/7/365 helpline, which all of us can access free of charge whenever we need in-the-moment emotional support.

2. Flexibility is key to work-life balance

Nowadays, it’s becoming clear that people’s lives don’t always fit neatly around the 9-to-5 working pattern anymore. So, for many years now, we’ve heavily focused on building a flexible and inclusive environment that accommodates the individual circumstances of all our staff.

As part of our work-life balance and staff wellbeing initiatives, we offer flexible working options including hybrid or fully remote working, part-time hours, compressed hours, or adjusted start and finish times.

‘The flexibility around work start and finish times is really helpful and one of the biggest benefits an employer could offer’ – a member of our production team added.

Introducing the 9-day fortnight pattern

Building on this, at the start of 2024, we’ve officially implemented the 9-day fortnight working pattern. Essentially, this is a version of compressed hours that gives those who opted in an additional day off every other week.

Following a 6-month trial, the results were so positive that we decided to continue with it indefinitely.

Although the 9-day fortnight was optional, the majority of our colleagues who trialled it never looked back. As well as having an extra day off for their birthday (which we’ve put in place over a decade ago), our team enjoys even more time to recharge while maintaining the same levels of productivity across the business thanks to their communication and collaborative efforts.

‘The flexibility Ruddocks offers me is a massive support and means I can balance childcare and a successful career’ – one of our senior account managers commented.

There’s a real need for employers to support staff’s work-life balance, and the 9-day fortnight has been a positive step, offering us additional downtime.

Ady Potter

Production Director

3. Encouraging relaxation in nature

2021 saw the beginnings of our garden project in which some of the land on our premises was turned into a natural space for our employees and the wider community to enjoy.

With the help of a local gardener, we have been building a wildlife and produce haven in our back garden.

Our staff can get stuck in, tending the garden and harvesting produce we have grown, or just take a ‘much-needed breath of fresh air and moment of peace’.

This initiative has since allowed us to grow natural produce, create a peaceful environment, and encourage biodiversity, which is particularly important in what is a predominantly industrial area.

It’s something we are hugely proud of, and the vision we had has truly come to life, in every sense of the word.

4. Organising team-building activities

We believe that socialising with colleagues is key to good working relationships, but we know how hard it can be to get everyone together outside of work. So, for several years now, we’ve been organising an annual staff party.

Every summer, our business closes its doors to customers early, and all staff are given the afternoon off to enjoy delicious food and drinks, games, and team-building activities.

Come rain or shine, we always have a fabulous afternoon together. It’s a more informal environment for bonding and an opportunity to relax and enjoy each other’s company off the clock!

And the most recent edition of our summer jamboree was possibly the best one yet! In addition to the usual treats and team games, this year we also organised quizzes, bingo, and even staff awards.

This initiative allowed us to celebrate our people for who they are and the amazing attributes they bring to our team, which aren’t necessarily work-related.

We’ve seen a real change over the last few years because of our focus on supporting staff, leading to a positive atmosphere where people are happy, which is reflected in all we do.

Tristan Palser

Managing Director Elect

5. Giving back to the local community

Lastly, supporting staff can also mean helping them to give back and empowering them to make a difference where they may not have the time to do so outside of work.

More specifically, over the last few years, we’ve pledged to help Trussell and our local foodbanks.

Since then, we began a volunteering program within our team, allowing staff who wish to offer their time to dedicate two hours each week to helping out at our local foodbanks’ warehouse and distribution centres.

As a business, we are proud to be able to extend our support to those in our community who need it the most, not just through monetary donations, but also with our time and practical support.

‘Being able to personally support foodbanks is hugely rewarding. We are collectively making a real contribution to our local community’ – a member of our marketing team commented.

The benefits of work-life balance
and staff wellbeing initiatives

Employees spend such a large proportion of their time at work, so we firmly believe their employers have a responsibility to support them through staff wellbeing and work-life balance initiatives such as these.

Especially because an uplifting and understanding culture is more likely to lead to healthy and happy people who, in turn, build strong teams and a positive work environment.

Curious to see how adopting these work-life balance and staff wellbeing initiatives could look for your workplace?

Reach out to our team and we’d be more than happy to share more details!

Contact us
and say hello.

If you’re interested in working with us or simply want to keep in touch with our latest work and events, we’d love to hear from you.

Call
01522 529591

Email
hello@ruddocks.co.uk

56 Great Northern Terrace
Lincoln LN5 8HL

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