WHSmith has partnered with retail industry charity the Retail Trust to introduce new measures to support its employees’ health and happiness to help boost staff wellbeing.
As a result, over 12,000 of the retailer’s colleagues and families now have access to a range of personalised resources including the Retail Trust’s wellbeing helpline, counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy, and mental health support.
As part of the partnership, employees have also been granted access to financial aid, support following any critical incidents and exclusive discounts and rewards.
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WHSmith is ranked as a Top350 retailer in RXUK’s Top500 report.
“We’re working hard to make sure that WHSmith is a business where our colleagues feel happy, healthy, safe and supported,” WHSmith chief people officer Helen Webb said.
“We already have some great wellbeing initiatives in place, including mental health first aiders and line manager training, but our partnership with the Retail Trust has really helped us to step up our support for individuals.
“The breadth of services and the great resources that they provide can make a meaningful difference to our colleagues and their families. We’ve already started to see some take-up from our colleagues, and we’re looking forward to working with the Retail Trust to make WHSmith an even better place to work.”
WHSmith is the latest retailer partner with the industry charity, joining the likes of Dunelm, River Island, Ann Summers and The Works, among more than 200 other major British retail businesses working with the Retail Trust.
The move comes as WHSmith has completed a £400 million bank refinancing in a bid to support its expanding retail division.
The omnichannel retailer has revealed its existing £363 million lending facilities, which consisted of a £250 million revolving credit facility (RCF) and a £113 million term loan have been repaid and cancelled.
