AWARDS PROFILE: Methanex wellbeing plan

Methanex has revitalised its approach to wellbeing based on Te Whare Tapa Whā, a well-established Māori model of health and care.

The plan incorporates all aspects of wellness, empowering people to actively embrace their own wellbeing, breathing life into shared values, and supporting people to thrive.

The 2022 wellbeing plan was co-designed by a diverse team with the aim of taking wellbeing beyond achieving wellness to flourishing.

The plan was developed acknowledging the interconnectedness of all facets of wellbeing: taha tinana – physical health and wellbeing; taha wairua – spiritual wellbeing; taha hinengaro – mental and emotional wellbeing; and taha whānau – family and social wellbeing.

It has a suite of resources and actions, designed to help employees take care of each pou, or pillar, of their whare. It brings together strategies of staff engagement, safety, team culture and the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Taha whānau

Methanex believes a significant way to nurture whānau in the community is its $2 million investment in the Methanex neonatal unit at Taranaki Base Hospital. The 10-year partnership will support the community with state-of-the-art treatment equipment and transportation incubators and setting it up to better cater to multiple births.

Other initiatives include making flu injections available for partners and children, making smoking cessation programmes available to partners, and extending Methanex’s employee assistance programme to their partners, children, and significant others.

Taha tinana

Methanex offers fresh fruit, skin cancer testing, fitness testing, a TeleMed service and subsidised monthly massages, as well as full healthcare insurance.

The “Turnaround your Health” plan was designed specifically for contractors employed for scheduled maintenance. The plan includes Hepatitis C testing, heart health initiatives and the health centre is open for non-work-related visits with 24-hour cover.

Taha wairua

A wellbeing subsidy of $300 is granted to employees, who can put it towards whatever they believe will give their wellbeing the greatest lift. So far 95 per cent of staff have taken up the subsidy, and it’s been used for family trips, Lego, running shoes, skin products, gym equipment and event tickets.

Taha hinengaro

Families have easy access to counselling, motivational speakers have been invited to share their experiences and Methanex has run a series of workshops.

Speakers have included artist Paul Rangiwahia, David ‘Buttabean’ Letele, and Black Fern Ruby Tui, who have shared learning strategies to protect wellbeing and prevent burnout.

Team leaders are given autonomy and resources to choose activities that will challenge or recharge their teams. The executive leadership team challenged themselves at the Taranaki Outdoor Pursuits and Education Centre, while Human Resources and IT helped out at the local SPCA, and the finance team did a beach clean-up.

Employees are granted a paid day to volunteer and Methanex match what the team raises when fundraising for charities. In 2022, Methanex helped raise over $14,000 for Movember, and in 2023 donated $12,000 to the Hawke’s Bay Disaster Relief Trust.

Gains

A recent pulse check has indicated significant improvements and, according to managing director Stuart McCall, there’s a clear future for this plan.

“Better health means better safety. Also, we value our staff highly. We want to see them shine, so we’re happy to go above and beyond to really enhance their wellbeing. We want to support them as much as we can to achieve their potential and really thrive.”

This comprehensive, holistic approach to wellness is the most recent iteration of a continually evolving health and wellness strategy.

The Well-being Award category is sponsored by nib