World Mental Health Day with Matter Of Form

Investing in our staff’s mental and physical wellbeing is central to our values as an agency and something we are proud to commit to everyday. We’re proud of our exceptionally high retention rate of 98.3%.

Our Chief of Staff, Oona, is always dreaming up new, creative ways to create a healthy, happy and connected workforce – from welcoming puppies to the office, hosting monthly cook-offs and summer soirées in the English countryside, to week-long meditation retreats, yoga, life coaching and wellness workshops, not a week goes by where there isn’t an opportunity to expand the mind, nourish the body or cultivate meaningful connections with others.

It’s Cool to Be Kind

While we are used to surprising and delighting clients, we thought it was high time we started surprising and delighting each other. So, in August, we celebrated National Be Kind to Humankind Week by inviting staff members to become a secret ‘Guardian Angel’ for a colleague at random. Their mission? To improve that person’s week with random acts of kindness and thoughtful gestures. From flowers, sweets, wine, coffees, and personalised poetry, the efforts did not disappoint. #Gratitude ????

[caption id="attachment_5875" align="aligncenter" width="459"] “Thank you, my guardian angel, for the gorgeous flowers! They are soooooo beautiful.” Ambika, UX Developer, Matter Of Form[/caption]

Mental Health Week

We run meditation and mindfulness workshops during Mental Health Week to highlight the effects these practices can have on mood, energy levels and wellbeing. We also offer complimentary manicures and gym classes to encourage self-care: whether it’s a beauty treatment or kickboxing class, each has its own merits for soothing the soul. 

Laughter is often the best form of medicine, so we got creative this year with ways to encourage more LOLs. From daft bingo games to laughter yoga (yes, it’s a thing!) our mission this year was to release as many endorphins as possible through the medium of mirth.

Puppies are not just for Christmas! 

As part of Mental Health Week activities in August, a troupe of super-cute canines descended on the office to give us all a mood-boosting dose of cuddles and play. We loved our furry friends so much that MOF is now a second home to our very own office dog, Hendricks (OK, he belongs to our Design Director, really). 

Rise and Grind… then Relax and Unwind 

From furry Fridays to De-Stress Friday: on the last Friday of the month, a masseuse provides sublimely relaxing arm, neck and shoulder massages, followed by yoga and meditation sessions to allow team members to fully unwind, away from the busy hum of the agency’s day-to-day operations.

Staff are encouraged to take their meditative practice one step further and book onto a week-long Vipassana Meditation Retreat in the Brecon Beacons, which is funded by the agency and will not affect their holiday balance. 

A life coach is on hand to discuss private work or life-related matters, for anyone who wants to, and our private healthcare benefits extend to mental health as well. 

Too many meetings can be overwhelming, so we introduced Meetingless Wednesdays to keep the day clear for staff to get their heads down and get their work done with zero distractions or external pressures.

Flex Appeal

Flexible working is essential in order to attract a diverse and balanced team, so we offer a number of ways to flex to fit our employees’ needs in that respect, whether it’s due to parental responsibilities, travel, or simply personal preference. In addition to flexitime for all, we offer anyone the chance to work remotely for one week of the year – our employees have travelled far and wide from Bali, Greece, Copenhagen, Morocco, New York and beyond, whether it’s extending a holiday, staying with friends and family, or renting an Airbnb for a week of inspiration in a new environment. 

Staff can also request unpaid leave for up to one month.  In the spirit of self-care, we offer every staff member a Duvet Day, which is a no-questions-asked, emergency day off for when you really need it most. 

We also invite employees to replace a day of work at MOF with a ‘Do-Good Day’ doing something for a charity of their choice – whether it’s volunteering at a soup kitchen, running a sponsored race or working at an animal shelter, the choice is theirs.

The annual summer party brings the team together for team sports, silly games and home-cooked food in the beautiful Buckinghamshire countryside. Back in London, cooking is part of the agency’s lifeblood: we’re big believers in slowing down when it comes to food. Our dining area is the nucleus of our agency where we frequently cook for one another: we even created our own recipe book, Foodie Fridays, which comes complete with recipes from the 16 nationalities within our agency and beautifully hand-illustrated images of every dish.

Every Friday, we provide complimentary breakfast for all, with smoothies, juices, cereals, fruit, toast and more, often followed by a delicious lunch whipped up by whoever wants to take on the challenge of cooking for 90! Melanzane Alla Parmigiana and New York cheesecake, anyone?

Our Sports Committee organises Tough Mudders, gym discounts, walking clubs, and most recently the MOF Tour de London-Brighton, which saw six of our lycra-clad lads complete 100k and 1000m of climbing - a solid day in the saddle, finished off with fish and chips on the seafront. 

Commitment to each and every staff member’s health and happiness is at the forefront of Matter of Form’s vision for success, and we’re proud to consistently maintain high levels of staff satisfaction and retention. 

---

We are hiring! Check out our latest roles on our Careers Website to find out more about how you can join the Matter Of Form team...

About Matter of Form Group

Established in 2018, the Matter Of Form Group is a collection of four award-winning agencies united and bound together by a common set of ideas and values centred around the mantra ‘Make Change Effective’.

The group consists of Matter Of Form, FORM Commerce, Diffusion Digital and Experience Haus with clients spanning the property and real estate, retail, travel and hospitality, wellness, lifestyle, third sector, B2B sectors and beyond. Some of these brands include Aman Resorts, Belmond, Cadogan Estates, Corbin and King, Landmark Properties, Mary Katrantzou, Monique Lhuillier, Shanghai Tang, Shangri-La, The Rug Company, UNICEF, World Economic Forum, Karen Millen, Breitling, Savitri Foundation, Joel Robuchon, Lindblad Expeditions, The Collective, The School of Life & Thanos Hotel Group.

If you’d like to discuss how the Matter Of Form Group partner to provide strategic design and tech services, please get in touch via hello@matterofform.com to arrange a time to speak with our team of consultants or visit www.matterofform.com.For Press and Media enquiries, please contact Emma Blackmore, Group Marketing Director: emma@matterofform.com.