Enate employees share work-life balance experiences for mental health awareness week

A 2022 study by Ergotron has found that 56% of employees experience mental health benefits exercising the hybrid working model. Over 1,000 full-time workers were surveyed according to a number of factors pertaining to hybrid work including job satisfaction, physical health, wellness and work-life balance. Results show:

• 75% are more active when working remotely
• 75% experience a better work-life balance
• 88% have a higher job satisfaction due to the flexibility
• 62% feel more comfortable

While everyone is unique and hybrid-work doesn’t suit everyone, the luxury of choice seems to be unanimously appreciated compared to enforced rules. Enate is a remote-first business with employees residing everywhere from Bangalore to London. Employees have the choice of either working remotely, at a bricks and mortar office in Cheltenham, or various WeWork spaces across the globe. There is ample opportunity to meet up in-person, but employees can choose whether to do so with no pressure from the employer.

Mental Health Awareness Week - employee experience

The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is anxiety which the World Health Organization defines as ‘Fear and worry and related behavioural disturbances.’ With this in mind, we thought it would be a good moment to share how Enate strives to create a culture of general wellness, acceptance and flexibility to support employees mental health.

Enate’s Head of Talent, Santosh says

To support this, we invited Enate’s employees to share their experiences.

“We are encouraged to walk every day, especially by Enate’s Founder”

Prior to the pandemic, Product Designer, Igor had a dream job working in London but the poor work-life balance was taking its toll. “I’d commute from Zone 4 or 5 on the London Underground every day, it felt very much like rats going from the tube to the office cage. Noisy, busy, tiring and expensive. I had a really great job which I loved, but moved to Gloucester, UK to prioritize work-life balance.”

Igor started working at Enate almost a year ago and says he has been able to ‘make huge lifestyle changes’ as a result such as cutting out processed food, getting a personal trainer and becoming more active.

“Walking in general is massive for mental health and I really appreciate that we are encouraged to walk by people like Kit (Founder) who often joins meetings while walking to set a positive example.” Although he enjoys the flexibility of remote work, Igor also likes in-person collaboration so takes advantage of Enate’s hybrid model.

“Rush hour commuting is not missed!”

Enate’s Head of Content, Rosella lives in London. Prior to the pandemic, she was working in Soho 5 days a week and found it too much. “As a creative individual, going to the same desk in the same spot every day for 9 hours made me feel claustrophobic and drained. Also, when you’re always rushing around you tend to neglect your diet and sleep - two key ingredients of good mental health.”

Since the pandemic, Rosella has pivoted to a hybrid working model and couldn’t be happier about it. Among swimming three times a week, walking 10,000 steps a day and having better flexibility, she cites the workplace flexibility as a huge bonus.

“Enate’s flexible hours allow me to balance the demands of motherhood with work”

Shalini is a Product Quality Team Leader specializing in Engineering and has worked for Enate in the APAC region for 8 years. Having recently become a mother following a difficult labour period, Shalini is grateful to Enate for enabling her to balance motherhood with work.

“The chance to be a digital nomad is a massive plus”

Enate’s Growth Lead, Robi recently joined the business to help Enate scale in Europe and America. A keen traveller, Robi cites the option to travel and work as a huge perk and one of the factors which influenced his decision to take on his current role.

“Enate’s culture has been a catalyst for personal growth”

Disha is a Content Design Lead in Enate’s marketing team and has worked at the company for 3 years. In a previous company, Disha faced discrimination which created a stressful working environment. This is not the case at Enate, Disha credits the ‘inclusive, supportive culture’ for giving her confidence, autonomy and empowerment at work.

"Being in my own space has reduced stress levels significantly"

Product Manager, Sandana describes herself as an 'extrovert' and initially had reservations about working remotely when joining Enate due to her love of being around people. After a month of this new work set-up, Sandana was surprised to find how much of a difference it made to her wellbeing.

Among spending time with family and saying farewell to the daily commute, Sandana has found she is more productive and focused due to the lack of distractions and interruptions. "Overall, I feel that working from home has had a positive impact on my mental health and job satisfaction, and I'm grateful to be part of Enate that supports remote work."