Promoting Wellbeing at Work

Here at Shooting Star we have always prioritised the wellbeing of our team and made an effort to ensure our colleagues are happy and fulfilled at work. We offer a number of perks to colleagues, including:

• A free breakfast once a week
• Monthly after-work (payday) drinks
• An extra day off on your birthday
• Free Christmas parties
• A pension scheme
• Office dogs
• Perks via Live Like Loyalty
• Team building days
• Flexible working
• A free supply of fresh fruit / biscuits (everybody’s different!)

We encourage an open and honest two-way communication between colleagues and their line manager and we ask team members to speak up about any concerns or complaints they may have.

We have a system of six-monthly reviews for all staff. These meetings are not an appraisal of a colleague’s performance, but rather an opportunity for colleagues to discuss their role with their line manager, their personal development, what scope there is for progression, and so on.

We are very attuned to people’s need for a comfortable and sustainable workspace, both in the office and at home. One of our team members suffered from scoliosis and we were happy to purchase a special chair for her to use at home in order to alleviate any painfulness or discomfort.

We prioritise the mental health of our staff. A few years ago, before working from home became the norm, we encouraged one colleague going through a personal break-up to work from home and we offered compassionate leave followed by home working for a colleague whose mother passed away.

We’ve been in business for over 15 years and most staff wellbeing initiatives have developed organically as the agency has grown from two directors to eight staff currently.

As a result of our approach we feel we have a highly motivated and committed team who enjoy working at Shooting Star.

Because we offer flexibility our staff feel willing to go the extra mile on projects, knowing that we will support them in their personal and professional lives and ensure they have a healthy work / life balance.

There is a strong team ethos at Shooting Star and everyone enjoys working together and supporting each other. Staff sickness absence is currently very low and has been for some time.

Here’s some feedback from one former member of our team:

“It is said that a problem shared is a problem halved, and this was certainly promoted during my time at Shooting Star; everyone was very approachable and supportive – qualities which stem from the top down.

“This coupled with perks such as monthly early finishes followed by team drinks, a day off for your birthday, and flexible working all played a part in maintaining good mental health.

“There was a strong family feel at Shooting Star which I really valued, especially because I was living away from my actual relatives. We all understood that being there for each other in any way we could be was beneficial for our mental health.”

JA