Weir Insurance links pilot wellbeing programme to trading performance improvements

Weir Insurance has reported improvements in employee health metrics following a pilot wellbeing programme, leading to its strongest first-quarter trading performance since the business was established in 1972.

The broker put a pilot group of 10 employees through AstralMandala’s Mandala42 Protocol, an eight-week programme founded by Anni Hood, focused on areas including nutrition, sleep, movement, social connection and time in nature.

Weir Insurance managing director Karen Weir said the programme formed part of the broker’s wider focus on employee wellbeing and engagement – and that the company saw a 120% increase in the number of enquires and a 61% increase in earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) as a result of staff feeling better in themselves.

Participants were assessed before and after the programme using blood biometrics and an emotional wellbeing measure.

According to AstralMandala, all participants recorded improvements in blood pressure, while inflammation markers improved in seven of the 10 participants. Cholesterol markers also improved in four participants.

The company added that scores on its Emotional Capacity Index, which uses the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWS) as an anchor measure, increased by an average of 39% across the cohort.

“We communicate far better now, and everyone feels seen and heard,” Weir said.

“We have just had our best performing quarter ever, better than anything in our history, and enquiries are higher than they have ever been.”

Pilot findings

Staff who participated in the protocol reported positive changes both inside and outside the workplace.

Laura Hall, office manager at Weir Insurance, said she felt less stressed and more able to manage interactions with customers and colleagues, while account handler Charlotte Wade reported positive feedback from family members about changes in her behaviour.

Hall said: “I was not carrying stress into every interaction, and that changed how I communicated with customers and colleagues.”

Anni Hood said the protocol was designed to be measurable, with biometric and wellbeing assessments incorporated to track outcomes.

AstralMandala is collecting data from additional cohorts as it continues to develop the programme.