How Carebook’s people-centric model has impacted company culture during the pandemic.

“I used to mindlessly move as part of my workday in the office. I’d bike to and from work; I’d get up from my desk to walk for meetings, I’d go outside with colleagues to walk during lunch. Now I’m a potato. My watch has to remind me to move every hour.” —DK, Carebook employee

Carebook has always reached out with surveys to help stay in touch with the health and happiness of employees. Through these regular, short touch points, the leadership team compiles aggregate sentiments for the team and addresses them with concrete actions.

Back in October, 2020, several months into the pandemic, Carebook employee responses to the regular surveys indicated a dip below the usual (really, really high) satisfaction levels. People, accustomed to the rhythm of life at the office, said they were starting to struggle as they worked from home. There were self-reported issues of lack of focus, people felt like they couldn’t (or shouldn’t) get up from their desks, and comments pointed to a blend of health and wellness concerns.

“I feel drained going from zoom meeting to zoom meeting. Sometimes I don’t get up from my desk until I realize I hurt.”—NC, Carebook employee

With 50+ employees working from home, and a “people-centric” mindset that is the foundation of everything they create, the Carebook team knew they wanted to walk the walk and create initiatives to empower their own employees. Pascale Audette, Carebook CEO notes that the company lives and breathes the values they tout. “We build solutions to empower and enable real humans. It’s very obvious that our employees—every person creating these solutions—must feel empowered and enabled themselves. The survey results were proof that we needed to cultivate that value in a real, concrete way, for our people.” And beyond the swelling sentiment, the science points to a potential solution.

Carebook’s health research team was quick to take action with what they thought would be a win. One (of many) company initiatives to increase health and happiness is the Movement Moment, initiated in early November 2020. “Research says physical activity improves mental and physical health. Rather than simply telling people they should get more active, we decided we’d give them the time to get active during the workday. Starting in November, we’ve marked off everyone’s calendar. For 30 minutes, everyone has the time to move—in any way that makes them feel healthier and happier,” says Stephanie Saheb, VP, Operations. “For most of our employees, that means getting outside for a walk with their dog or doing a home exercise routine—like yoga. But for some it means quiet meditation or, in the case of new moms and dads on our team, a nap to replenish their sleep will positively impact their state of being. We trust that our employees know how to best serve themselves and their health. And with the Movement Moment, we’re honoring that. So far, so good.”

For the second year in a row, Carebook has been recognized as one of Montréal’s Top Employers by Mediacorp Canada Inc., the organizers of the annual Canada’s Top 100 employers competition.

Carebook believes in a world of connected health where people are empowered every step of the way. From the inside out, we’re people-centric. If you’re interested in building a solution created from or integrated with your current digital offering, combining science and engagement, please get in touch.