An insurance group is using colour wristbands for staff to show their feelings about personal comfort.

All 132 team members at A-One Insurance Group (AOIG) worked seamlessly from home during lockdown and beyond.

They’ve now returned to the company’s six Covid-secure offices, including Dorchester and Westbourne, on a rota basis.

But, mindful of their employee’s mental wellbeing, AOIG is introducing coloured wristbands into its offices.

Sarah Eades, Group Operations Director, said: “We introduced green, yellow and red wristbands in order to immediately identify how someone is feeling about the situation.

“Each member of staff makes their choice depending on how they feel.

“This allows everyone to gauge how people feel in the workplace, so staff can adjust and react to personal preferences in an instant.”

The colour coding is:

• Red: Someone is less confident about getting too close, and anxious about others that may get too close, even within the requisite safe distance. It helps to encourage stronger social distancing for the sake of colleagues.
• Yellow: I’m a little nervous but relatively comfortable with the required  social distancing measures.
• Green: I’m personally feeling in a good place. I’m comfortable with interacting and feel safe here at work.

Sarah said: “Each coloured band allows colleagues to appreciate how a person feels as they adjust to being back in the office and are now mixing with those that are not in their immediate family.

“What we have found – more importantly – is how they feel in general about the Covid pandemic and how they are coping with the new normal.

“The new system has been well received because it is straightforward, very visual and easy to alter as and when personal circumstances change.

“It’s all about building confidence after five challenging months and adapting to new fears and understanding an individual risk assessment.”

Established in Westbourne 27 years ago by Ian Penfold, Managing Director, AOIG has grown to become a top 50 UK insurance brokerage.

It is one of the largest privately owned insurance brokers in the country.