The LivingWell Premier health club in Inverness, Scotland, has become the first company in the country to be awarded the Scotland’s Health at Work (SHAW) Commendation Award for Mental Health and Wellbeing.

The award recognises organisations which promote positive mental health and wellbeing in all their staff, including supporting employees with mental health problems and removing barriers to recruitment for staff with a history of mental health problems.

The LivingWell club has introduced a range of policies to boost the wellbeing of its staff including physical activity challenges, stress management, counselling services, a confidential helpline, meditation breaks and activities such as yoga, body balance and Tai Chi classes built into their working day.

Operations manager Alan Bell said: “We tried to involve our team in physical activities and de-stressing sessions in an effort to promote positive mental health and generate a feeling of overall well-being.

The overwhelming team response to these health initiatives has been fantastic. Team member sickness has decreased while retention and staff morale have increased dramatically and a recent confidential survey showed 97.6 per cent of our team were happy in their job. With mental health related illness being such a major cause of sickness absence, this award is a lead I would encourage all employers to follow.” Details: www.livingwell.com