The pandemic has heightened our awareness of the importance of healthcare and wellbeing support.

There are times in our lives when we all need support. In a personal context, this can be provided by friends and family whilst medical professionals are the first port of call for health problems. However, what are the options when there are problems at work?

Enter Peppy.

With three co-founders who have expertise in both healthcare and business, Peppy provides a service aimed at helping employees in the corporate world. Although Peppy can be placed under the rubric of healthcare, their service is more targeted, lying in the areas of fertility, new parents and menopause. The individuals who need help in these areas are not ‘ill’ by definition. Rather, they require support as they confront new challenges.

Peppy’s mission statement highlights the niche into which they fit:

‘At these critical times, conventional healthcare lets too many people down and private medical insurance provides almost no cover. Other employee benefits such as Employee Assistance Programmes may claim to provide support on paper but are typically generic and impersonal.’

Private health insurance provides certain benefits which the National Health Service (NHS) simply does not have the resources to provide. That said, it cannot cover everything. This gives Peppy a space in the market that allows them to provide a variety of services to guide people through these periods. What helps to set Peppy apart is its ability to provide all these services remotely. The current state of the world has meant that operating remotely is essential. This extends to the medical arena with GP appointments now taking place on the phone or other platforms. Peppy builds on this by offering virtual seminars, one-on-one chat support, practitioner consultations and even online exercise classes, all via their app.

Given the services they offer, it should not come as a surprise that success is no stranger to Peppy. Founded in 2018, Peppy is already working with leading names across a variety of industries, including Penguin Random House, Aldi and the National Lottery Fund. With backing from Seedcamp and other investors, Peppy has been given major stamps of approval through the trust of the NHS, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the British Infertility Counselling Association (BICA). Accordingly, Peppy is filling a hole in the market by giving personal support at times of transition.

Putting it into practice

Increasingly, employers are acknowledging the importance of workplace mental health. To that end, they are looking to offer support to their employees either through support providers like Peppy or an infrastructure within their Human Resources (HR) departments. The advantage of Peppy is its provision of trained practitioners who have the time and expertise to dedicate to the needs of staff.

Indeed, the need for support is now more important than ever due to the effects of the pandemic and Peppy recognises this:

‘By now, we’re all too aware of the physical symptoms of Covid-19. But the far-reaching side-effects of Coronavirus on the whole population could also include anxiety, agoraphobia, loneliness and isolation.’

As a result, employers are looking to provide better care for their employees’ mental health, and Peppy is well placed to help. With many people struggling with their mental health during the pandemic, discussion of mental health in the workplace has become far more open and accepted – a slim silver lining to the current situation. Managers are reaching out to employees, co-workers are checking in on each other, and HR departments are more responsive than ever.

An area in which Peppy excels is the support it provides for parents. Maternity and paternity leave has been a strange experience during lockdowns. For those who have had babies during the pandemic, they have been gifted with extra time at home with their newborns. Yet, they have also been tasked with handling those difficult days without the support network they had planned for. Having online support is a lifeline for new parents, especially as they navigate it in such isolated times.

Forgotten amidst the discussion on maternity leave is the equally pressing issue of time-off for those facing challenges around having children. This encompasses challenges in conception, including going through the process of IVF or difficulty in carrying a pregnancy to term. New Zealand’s parliament recently voted to approve paid leave for couples who have experienced a miscarriage. As the first legislation of its kind, it represents a step towards recognising the impact of these events on people’s lives. Until similar legislation is introduced elsewhere, Peppy can fill this void by offering fertility practitioner consultations for those struggling to conceive or experiencing any worries surrounding their fertility. Peppy is there for you, wherever you are in your life or your cycle, by providing support that spans everything from big life-changing moments to managing day-to-day stress.

Conclusion

Peppy is brilliant for anyone who finds themselves struggling with both minor and major life events. Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, many people are seeking support for the first time. This high public awareness of our mental health needs offers a great opportunity to make a habit of open and candid discussion.

Bringing this openness into the workplace will be massively beneficial, and Peppy is here to help.