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Introducing our University Wellbeing Champion

15 Nov 2016

Professor Sir Cary Cooper CBE lends his support to the University's plans to enhance the wellbeing of its staff and students

Cary Cooper

Cary, who is 50th Anniversary Professor of Organizational Psychology & Health at Alliance Manchester Business School, was one of the leaders of a government-funded project, Mental Capital and Wellbeing, which identified the drivers of wellbeing. The New Economic Foundation (NEF) later promoted these as the Five Ways to Wellbeing: 'Connect', 'Learn', 'Be active', 'Take notice', and 'Give'.

The University adopted the Five Ways to Wellbeing as the framework for its new Wellbeing Strategy - expanding 'Learn' to 'Learn and discover' and adding 'Be healthy' to produce the six Manchester Ways to Wellbeing.

Cary, who was named HR’s most influential thinker by HR Magazine in 2015 and is President of the CIPD, the British Academy of Management, RELATE, and the Institute of Welfare, is strongly supportive of the aims of the Wellbeing Strategy. He said: 

“Health and wellbeing is a really important aspect of the University - for staff, students and everyone connected to us. Enhanced wellbeing in the workplace has three, incremental benefits for the individual and the organisation: (1) you don’t get ill; (2) you are more productive; and (3) you get more out of your job.

“But a good workplace doesn’t just attend to its own needs – it strives to provide a good work-life balance for its employees.

“The Manchester Ways to Wellbeing and our Wellbeing Strategy will give us the tools to embed wellbeing into the culture of our workplace over the next few years and really engage with our staff and students on this vital issue.”

Find your way to wellbeing

Discover other Wellbeing Week activities to help you feel good and function well at: