Employee wellbeing essential in manufacturing

The value of workers who are motivated, productive, and satisfied in any business is vital. But in manufacturing, employee engagement is essential.

For over 60 years West Gosford based GEM Switchboards (formerly Gosford Electrical Manufacturing) has been designing and manufacturing electrical switchboards, distribution boards, motor control centres and grid protection units.  All products require the highest standards of design and workmanship.

With a staff of almost thirty, General Manager, Matthew Watson, who joined the business in 2019, knows that GEM’s workforce are his most valuable asset and knows that their welfare is as important to him as it is to them and their families.

Mr Watson is taking GEM on an ambitious path, expanding the business and breaking new ground in the switchboard industry.

This requires his workforce to perform at a high standard and under significant amounts of stress at certain periods during each month.

He expects a high quality of work but also is fair and treats his staff very well.

Part of that staff care model was to bring in Jay Merrilees, Founder of Bulletproof Leader, as a health and well-being specialist to help his staff handle the pressures of the industry and prioritise their own self-care.

Commenting on the success of the programme Mr Merrilees said, “Most of the staff have taken to this enthusiastically and achieved some significant physical and mental health benefits as a result.

He says the Bulletproof program takes into account the 6 areas of lifestyle medicine and ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy).

“We initially take each client through a “health wheel” helping to establish the areas in their life that they are performing well in and the areas that they are not.

Commenting on the success of the Bulletproof programme, Mr Watson says that after nine months it has proved to be extremely worthwhile.