FOCUS SUSTAINABLE WELLBEING
ROUNDTABLE
HEALTHY DISCUSSION
FMJ, in conjunction with Zip Water brought together a panel of senior FMs under Chatham
House rules to share their expertise in providing sustainable and healthy working environments
PARTICIPANTS
• Sara Bean - Editor, FMJ
• Robbie Ferguson – National Sales Manager, Zip
• Daniel Johnson – National HydroCare Manager, Zip
• Ian Baker - Head of Workplace, EMCOR UK
• Simi Gandhi-Whitaker, Strategic Technology Director, Mitie
• Peter Carr - Head of FM, CEG
• Maureen Symester - Head of Facilities, Richmond Pharmacology
• Russell Burnaby - Head of FM, Brent Council
• Steve Harris - Head of FM, London Borough of Camden
• Satinder Kaur - Head of Workplace Development, General Medical Council
The pandemic has changed the way in which people work and live, with
research suggesting that those who worked mainly from home adopted
less healthy habits, from neglecting to move enough during the day to
neglecting their nutrition and hydration. This means for FMs a focus on
wellbeing, sustainability and community is more important than ever, but
how can they meet these demands while managing the transition from prepandemic
28 JULY 2022
work habits to a hybrid workforce?
We brought together a group of senior FMs alongside two of Zip Water’s
hydration experts to discuss how FMs can devise a Sustainable Health and
Wellbeing strategy that meets Environmental, Social, and Governance factors
(ESG).
Q: What exactly do we mean by wellbeing at work? How can we define it?
Robbie Ferguson of Zip said that wellbeing describes both physical health and
mental health which is why encouraging sta to take regular breaks, including
going out for a walk at lunchtime is an important part of any wellbeing strategy.
For one of our panellists, their organisation was so focused on preventing the
spread of COVID, visitors and sta were subject to lateral flow tests upon entering
their building. This causes problems managing facilities, making deliveries and
collections in particular di icult to manage.
But as another panellist explained: “You’ve got di erent ends of the spectrum.
If you’d asked two years ago, the definition of wellbeing was making employees
productive, but now it’s about keeping them well. The key to wellbeing now
is having an o er which entices sta to come back, because if you’ve got an
alternative workplace at home you need a pull with wellbeing at the fore.”