Leading specialist finance lender, Mint Property Finance, is launching an initiative to promote health and wellbeing at its Cheshire headquarters.
Mint’s new health and wellbeing strategy is designed to support staff, both mentally and physically, following the challenges of Covid-19. The lender’s plans to champion wellness in the workplace include flexible working, regular breakout sessions, access to mental health first aiders and a partnership with health plan provider Medicash.
The company-funded Medicash scheme will see the 50-strong team at Mint given access to a host of healthcare benefits from cashback for dental treatment and optical bills to support with physiotherapy and counselling sessions. Staff will also benefit from virtual GP consultations, gym discounts, exercise videos, online yoga sessions, guided meditations and self-help advice. Employees are invited to use the SkinVision app as well, which helps to identify the most common types of skin cancer by assessing skin spots and moles on a regular basis.
Whilst the healthcare partnership is designed to look after Mint employees, the team’s nearest and dearest will be covered too as dependent children are included in the scheme and there is an option for employees to add other family members to their health plan.
To further promote a positive working environment, employees are urged to regularly schedule time to chat with co-workers over a cup of tea or late afternoon drinks. Displaying random acts of kindness towards colleagues is also actively encouraged at Mint and the company often treats the team to a surprise gift or lunch delivery, providing a perfect opportunity for the team to get together.
In addition, employees are invited to play a part in Mint’s corporate social responsibility programme, which sees staff nominate a charity of their choice every month, to which the business will make a financial contribution. The award-winning lender has already donated £10,000 to charities this year including a recent donation of £850 to the mental health charity MIND.
Staff have also chosen to support local charities such as Cash for Kids, an organisation that provides invaluable support to children across the North West, as well as Holocaust memorial initiative The Yellow Candle Project and The World Jewish Relief, a charity that helps poverty-stricken people of all religions from Eastern Europe to access essential food and clothing.
Speaking on the importance of health and wellbeing in the workplace, Founder and Managing Director of Mint, Andrew Lazare, said: “After such a challenging year, employee wellbeing has to be a top priority. As part of our people first culture, we aim to support the Mint family in a number of ways from investing in a new healthcare plan to introducing everyday work practices like regular break out time and random acts of kindness to help spread a little happiness and encourage colleagues to stay connected.
“Many people have experienced high levels of stress and anxiety throughout the pandemic, whether they’ve been feeling isolated during lockdown, struggling with concerns about their health or worrying about the wellbeing of family, friends and colleagues. We all need to be mindful of the impact this can have on mental health.
“We’re proud that the team at Mint have access to qualified and experienced mental health first aiders who are trained to provide support to employees who may be in need of help and guidance. Our people are at the heart of everything we do and it’s vital that the whole team feels cared for and well supported as we start to move towards a hybrid way of working post-Covid.”
Mint is recognised for its unique, flexible approach to lending, its people first culture and commitment to launching new and innovative products that meet the Borrower and Lender’s needs. The privately funded lender, which recently reported its most successful month on record, has enjoyed near sustained year-on-year growth since inception in 2011.
