Mental Health and Wellbeing at Irdeto

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘health is wealth’, and ultimately, it’s not a bad phrase to live by. Health and mental well-being are essential for us to perform at our best level, but sometimes we don’t give them the attention they deserve nor the time they need. We all understand how much water we should be drinking, how many steps we should be taking and the right amount of sleep we should be having to ensure we’re feeling at our best, but our mental health appears to take a back seat when we’re ticking boxes on our wellbeing list.

Throughout October, we have been running several internal initiatives that coincide with the global Mental Health Day that fell on October 10. Now more than ever, it’s important we take a step back and take time for ourselves to check in on how we’re doing.

We’ve been offering everything from bi-weekly yoga classes from Sofie Lievens Yoga to stress management workshops, to bend the mind, soul and body. We’ve had access to online Diversity and Inclusion training, and we’ve been receiving weekly updates through our internal platforms with tips and tricks to support and improve our employees’ mental health. On our internal platforms, the Learning and Development and Rewards teams have been posting content such as Ted Talks and other inspirational, educational, and insightful content that allow us to discover more techniques and methods to deal with our emotional and mental hygiene. We’ve also had access to webinars and on-demand training videos that allow us to reconnect with our mental health.

Taking control of our mental health and wellbeing is something often overlooked but at Irdeto, we’re taking the steps to ensure that our employees are taking the time for themselves to check in on their mental health. Here is what a few of our employees had to say about the initiative.

‘We are all going through something, invisible to the eye. It’s affected those closest to me—and it’s by far the biggest battle I’ve ever had to face. And it’s even more important for us now to have empathy towards those closest to us—family, friends, and colleagues. Raising awareness is a key first step, and I’m so happy Irdeto is doing just that with Mental Health Month. Remember to be kind. Always be kind.’
David Wen, Learning and Development Specialist – Hoofddorp, Netherlands

‘When I heard that Irdeto was offering online yoga classes during October, I was very excited and grateful to have the opportunity to have some me-time during my workday. Taking a pause to slow down, breathe, stretch, and connect with ourselves is essential to both our mental and physical health. Irdeto cares about our well-being and hosting a global mental health month is a testament to their commitment to our people!’
Alejandra Meza, Internal Communications Specialist – Hoofddorp, Netherlands

We also provide access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) where employees and their family can access services to support their wellbeing and health free of charge if they need it. This is readily accessible and a tool that will assist with maintaining some sort of balance in both employee’s personal and professional life. These services consist of confidential counseling, legal support, financial planning, and resources, all twinned with country-specific online resource apps and sites. We all need some support from time to time and we aim to extend a helping hand to our employees when they need it.

By allowing yourself one hour a day to dedicate to authentic self-care, physical or mental, you are allocating around 5% of your day to you – I think we’re all allowed to be a little selfish now and again! By taking more time to ourselves, it allows us to heal, recover, and relax. Navigating the past year hasn’t been easy. We’re making changes to ensure our employees have the access to services if they need support and providing them with the guidance and outlets to allow for well-being activities, even if that involves folding yourself up into a human pretzel.