Employee Safety and Well-being

A CHALLENGING SITUATION 

Since the onset of the full-scale war, Pivdenny has been faced with a new challenge, which lies in providing not only professional but also emotional support to its team. Constant stress, fear for the loved ones, uncertainty, and fatigue has plagued its employees, which, in turn, negatively affected their performance and caused deterioration of teamwork.  

During the first months of war, the Bank specifically focused on individual psychological support and gave out contacts of mental therapists to the employees. However, it turns out that only 3-5% of the employees are ready to use such services. The rest simply lived through the same emotional experiences but never dared to book an appointment with a specialist in person. 

At the same time, the team felt that there was a need in shared experiences, which could help them recharge and strengthen their ties. The company understood that without a systemic support system even the strongest team may run out of resources. Chronic tiredness, anxiety, and burnout may affect their performance, customer service, and team interaction. Human Resources Department staff started looking for a new approach in order to incorporate emotional support into corporate life, teach people to take care of themselves, and simultaneously unite the team at times, when people are divided by kilometres and circumstances. 

A SOLUTION FOR A CHALLENGING SITUATION 

Thus, Pivdenny Bank has come up with an updated welfare programme, which encompasses four main aspects of employees’ lives: emotional, physical, social, and financial. It is aimed at creating an environment where people feel supported not only at work but also in their personal life. 

1. A new approach to emotional health 

The key solution became the adding of new formats of interaction. One-on-one appointments with a mental therapist remained but they were complemented with team initiatives, which help the employees to experience their emotions together and restore internal strength.  

The Bank has launched a series of online metal health webinars and the topics have been chosen by the employees themselves via anonymous questionnaires. The most requested topics were those of stress resistance, resource saving techniques and planning under conditions of uncertainty. Each event attracted 100 to 150 participants. This became not only an opportunity to learn about useful instruments but also a space for shared experiences, meaning that each employee realises that they are not alone. 

By the end of the year, we have planned a launch or resource meetings in live group formats to be held in the autumn, when the majority of people are drained of energy. The topics will be chosen by the colleagues so that the programme remains adaptable and addresses the real-life needs. 

“We saw that the best support is not an opportunity to get professional help but also a shared space, where people can learn to persevere together,” explained Yuliia Titurenko, Director of the Human Resources Department. 

2. “The Year of Ukrainian Art” Cultural Initiative 

Since the onset of war, many have paused their cultural life, i.e. theatre performances, concerts, performances. It seemed that art holds no meaning in times of loss and uncertainty. Still, time shows that it is the culture that helps people feel alive, inspired, and proud of their nation. 

Based on the results of a new questionnaire, the Bank launched “The Year of Ukrainian Art” Cultural Programme. Each employee was offered an opportunity to choose their event: from theatre to concert to opera. During the first several months after its launch, it attracted about 200 colleagues, i.e. 15% of the team. And it is just the beginning: about 80% of employees are expected to join this initiative by the end of the year.  

Employees note that such events help to emotionally “switch” and restore internal balance and a sense of joy. Many come to performances or concerts with colleagues, and these shared experiences strengthen the sense of unity. In fact, the initiative has become a natural form of team building, combining cultural enlightenment and concern for well-being.

3. Mountains as a metaphor for teamwork

One great example was a team trip to the Carpathians. In summer, the team decided to climb the peaks – Hoverla, Drahobrat, and Khomiak. We organised different routes for convenience and safety to allow everyone to choose their difficulty level. As a result, more than 320 employees joined the trip and everyone was able to reach their peaks. 

It became a symbol of revival and unity for many. Physical exercise helped them to reboot their brain and peer support allowed them to find internal equilibrium. People helped one another not only by act but also with words of encouragement, and this feeling of a strong shoulder to lean on remained with them even after the trip. 

“This trip gave me an opportunity to see once again that I am surrounded by colleagues who are always ready to assist, support, and inspire. I am a million percent positive that Pivdenny team is ready to climb all the highest peaks of the world!” shared one of the participants. 

4. Unified by sport

Sports activities have also become an essential component of the programme. However, the Bank thinks not only about physical health but also about team activities. Thus, participation in a charitable marathon became an event for the team that combined emotional reboot, team spirit, and social mission.  

It was not about the victory; it was about the support of construction of Superhumans Prosthesis Centre in Odesa. This project holds a special meaning for an Odesa-based facility. The colleagues confessed that it was the understanding that each kilometre helps veterans to get a new chance that increased their strength and inspired them. 

“We wished that sports became a vessel for good deeds within our programme. It is a feeling of teamwork when your personal effort becomes a real contribution that brings about changes,” remarked Yuliia Titurenko. 

5. New formats of live communication

After mass life changing events, the Bank decided to develop more close-knit formats in order to cultivate the feeling of community. Thus, we have come up with an idea of outdoor cinema in the courtyard of the head office. It seems like a simple thing but the first movie screening attracted more than a hundred visitors. 

People came not only for cinema’s sake; they wanted to spend time together, chat, and feel the human connection. This format has proved that it is not only big events that count in the modern corporate environment but also warm get-togethers. 

Another manifestation of this philosophy was the community cleanup initiatives on Saturdays in the courtyard of the head office. The team has already gathered several times to green the space where colleagues spend their time every day. Under the guidance of a gardener, they planted bushes, flowers, young trees, arranged flower beds, and simply chatted. Such meetings combined teamwork and informal communication – without formality but with a sense of involvement. This is another way to support team spirit and make the workspace warmer – literally and metaphorically.

All those solutions are united by one philosophy: care starts with respect to human emotions and needs. Pivdenny Bank welfare programme is not just a sequence of planned events but a living and constantly adapting system based on team feedback and needs. 

OUTCOMES OF THE DECISIONS MADE

Our multi-faceted approach to emotional stability of our employee has shown significant results both for the staff and the business. 

1. Strengthening team spirit and earning trust.
   Joint activities have become a bridge between colleagues from different departments and levels. People note that it is easier to find a common language, to agree on work issues faster, and to communicate more openly with managers after cultural events or climbing Hoverla. This is especially important in a hybrid work format, when face-to-face contact is becoming less frequent.

Based on questionnaires after hiking trips, the employees responded to the question “To what extent, in your opinion, did participation in the event positively affect your motivation and engagement at work?” and graded this initiative 9.7 out of 10. 

No less revealing was the answer to the question “To what extent, in your opinion, did this format contribute to building trust between colleagues?” – 9.5 out of 10.

In addition, after the climb, 76% of participants admitted that they began to interact better with colleagues with whom they had hardly communicated before, and another 23% noted partial improvement. These results confirm that shared emotions, mutual support, and overcoming challenges became not only a personal experience for everyone, but also a good tool for strengthening team trust.

1. Increased involvement and initiative.
   While at the beginning of the war, most employees considered participation in programmes as a mere “option,” today they are actively involved and offer new ideas themselves. Participation in events has become a familiar element of corporate life.
2. Improvement of psychological climate.
   After-event questionnaires demonstrate lower stress levels and a feeling of support in the participants. People speak more often on unity, trust, and thankfulness. It is a key stability factor for a bank operating under conditions of high responsibility. 
3. Increased employer loyalty.
   This welfare programme has become an important component of the employer’s brand. The Bank strives to invoke associations with a place, where people are cared for, their emotional state is cherished, and all the conditions are created for professional development. This influences not only staff retention but also job attractiveness for new hires. 
4. Social effect and positioning.
   Through participation in charitable sports events, the Bank has strengthened its role as a responsible business that supports initiatives in the field of veteran rehabilitation. This is how the company demonstrates: we care for people and not only inside but also outside.
5. Financial and organisational effectiveness.
   Despite the scale of the programme, it is implemented mainly using the team’s own resources, with minimal spending on independent contractors. The main investment is time, attention, and involvement of people. This is what has made the programme sustainable and long-lasting. 

CONCLUSIONS 

Over the past year, Pivdenny Bank welfare programme has become a systemic tool for caring for the team, which affects not only the emotional state of employees but also the corporate culture as a whole.

It helps the Bank remain resilient in times of uncertainty, supports internal unity, and cultivates a sense of pride in the workplace.

“We didn’t invent ready-made recipes. We simply listened to the team and addressed its needs. And it turned out that what people want the most now is to be there and feel that they are cared for,” concluded Yulia Titurenko.

The programme continues unfolding. The plans include new formats for informal meetings, support for sports initiatives, expansion of cultural events, and ongoing mental therapy sessions. And most importantly, we all should remain lively, flexible, and humane like the Pivdenny team itself.