OPTUS PARTNERS WITH ABC COMMERCIAL TO REVOLUTIONISE RETAIL EMPLOYEE WELLBEING

Optus today announced a new partnership with ABC Commercial to deliver an industry-first team-based resilience program trial in 162 Optus stores across the country, with more than 1300 employees set to participate. The four-week app-based program is designed to equip retail employees with a mental toolbox of strategies that can positively impact their performance with colleagues and clients, by increasing their resilience, and ability to cope with stress.

Recognising the need to respond to the unique pressures experienced in the retail environment, Optus Vice-President of Human Resources Vaughan Paul said that the partnership with Happy Body At Work was a natural progression for the two companies.

“Our retail employees are the face of the company in store, and after a successful implementation of the Happy Body corporate wellbeing program last year, we sought to find a similar program that would suit their context,” Mr Paul said. “Because the retail workplace can be a fast-moving and stressful environment, it was obvious that we needed to address these requirements with a tailored program. With nothing available, we partnered with ABC Commercial to create content that would resonate with not just our retail employees, but a program that will be useful across the retail landscape.”

The core modules of the team training program look at four different areas – mood, stress, sleep, and energy – and aim to educate and empower customer-facing staff with techniques to manage each to perform at an optimal level.

Director of ABC Commercial, Robert Patterson, said the partnership had yielded a ground-breaking product. “Following on the success of our flagship Happy Body program within the corporate market, ABC Commercial is delighted to be partnering with Optus to develop Happy People - the latest innovation in scalable, digital wellbeing programs. Optus’ strategic approach to the health and wellbeing of their employees is unparalleled, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact that Happy People has on their retail staff,” Mr Patterson said.

The pilot program will be rolled out in 162 stores nationwide from early September 2016.

Media contact:

Lindsay Clement-Meehan

(02) 8082 7850

media@optus.com.au