<< Background >>Workplace well-being is one of the hottest topics in professional/industrial and academic settings during the past one and a half year, following the emergence of the pandemic situation, as employees have seen their lives turn upside down, both from a personal and a professional point of view, with a negative effect on their well-being levels. More than ever before, following the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, employees were exposed to an even bigger burden while working from home, with extra responsibilities added to their already busy lives.Results from recent studies (e.g. Deloitte, 2020) are concerning: For many workers, the pandemic is upending their work/life balance and affecting their physical and mental health, and some are questioning their current and long-term career prospects. Some have cited working longer hours because of the pandemic and others are juggling extra care-giving responsibilities as a result of pandemic-related consequences (i.e., school closures, caring for relatives) while also working full-time. Thus, the project’s topic is more relevant and of great importance than never before, as it affects individuals, families, organisations and the economy at large. Workplace well-being relates to all aspects of working life, from the quality and safety of the physical environment, to how workers feel about their work, their working environment, the climate at work and work organisation. The aim of introducing wellbeing programmes is for workers to feel safe, healthy, satisfied and engaged at work. Workers well-being is a key factor in determining an organisation's long-term effectiveness. Many studies show a direct link between productivity levels and the general health (physical, psychological, mental) and well-being of the workforce. n a recent study by LCP, it was reported that 3 in 5 Brits are currently worried about their workplace wellbeing due to the lack of support from employers during the pandemic. In a post-Covid corporate landscape, where many businesses have seen drastic changes to their workplace lifestyle and location, employee wellbeing has never been so important.Studies show that a happy and healthy employee is more likely to perform and engage within the business, providing stronger value production for the company as a whole. Thus, the company benefits, both at a short and long-term basis and the development and investment in well-being programmes should be seen as a necessity and not a luxury. It has been estimated that mental health problems affect more than a third of the population every year, the most common of them being depression and anxiety. Mental and behavioral disorders were responsible for 4,1% of all deaths in 2018, 7% of EU’s population in 2014 reported having chronic depression and in 2015 14% of all hospital beds in the EU were psychiatric care beds (EUROSTAT, 2018). Each year 25% of the EU population suffers from depression and/or anxiety. Consequently, up to 50% of chronic sick leaves are due to depression/stress and the cost of mood disorders and anxiety in the EU is around €170 billion per year (WHO, 2018). Every individual spends a large proportion of his/her life in their workplace, subsequently what happens at work affects significantly their emotional and physical well-being and vice versa. A large body of research has confirmed the link between well-being and job performance (Metcalfe et al., 2008). A significant number of individuals experiences stress-related mental or health issues that affect their productivity, job satisfaction and well-being (Baptste, 2007; Gorjian & Finkelman, 2016; Metcalfe et al., 2008; Turner et al., 2002). According to the Sixth European Working Conditions Survey conducted by Eurofound (2017), one-third of workers in the EU, work with tight deadlines at high speed. With growing high demands on employees, the negative influence on workers’ mental health is continuously rising and especially burnout is becoming an important issue .<< Objectives >>Despite existing good practices, management of workplace well-being is generally not embedded in Human Resource policies in organisations, nor supported by national policies, especially in SMEs. The EU supports and promotes the well-being approach; however, it lies in the power of each organisation in Member States to adopt this notion and to create such policies (European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, 2013). These skills and strategies related to workplace well-being are not usually adopted by companies or in-company VET trainers, even though most of them are extremely simple, thus it is important to develop a compact source of information to impart the knowledge of the HR community of Europe.Through new approaches that have emerged after the COVID-19 pandemic, we aim to contribute in ehnancing people’s well-being at individual level but also improve company productivity and generate economic growth at national and EU level. A recent article published by the Harvard Business Review stressed how the pandemic exacerbated the burnout syndrom of thousands of employees at a global level (https://hbr.org/2021/02/how-the-pandemic-exacerbated-burnout?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=hbr&utm_source=linkedin&tpcc=orgsocial_edit) and in another article also published by HBR (02/2021, provided in Annexes) the researchers of the study presented in 12 charts what COVID-19 has done to our well-being (https://hbr.org/2021/02/what-covid-19-has-done-to-our-well-being-in-12-charts?ab=seriesnav-bigide). Well-being, work-life balance and burnout are all closely linked and our project aims to touch upon these issues through a comprehensive and systematic approach and offer practical and hands-on solutions for the businesses and organisations that want to thrive and grow further in the near future. Special emphasis will be given in prevention strategies for better results. More specifically, our THRIVE@work consortium aims to address these crucial issues by implementing an innovative Training Programme for HR Managers, having also the role of in-company VET trainers (PR2). Also an EU Handbook with practical applications for organisations, with the objective to safe-proof wellbeing in the workplace will be developed (PR1). All project products and actions will be especially designed in order to promote continuous VET training of HR Managers/Officers on well-being programmes and this in turn will sustain and enhance employees’ physical and emotional well-being. In addition, these practices will be beneficial for organisations since it is expected to improve staff’s productivity, efficiency and engagement.TARGET GROUPS: 1. In-company and external VET trainers, HR Professionals, CEOs/Company Owners. AIMS: •Development of innovative Training Programme on well-being programmes, across different industries/areas, based on the PERMA model:oIncluding basic leadership skills and team-building activitiesoMentoring skillsoDesigned to improve work environments oHelp employees to flourish.•Empower HR Managers to develop new knowledge, competences and skills in the fast-changing globalised workplace, through continuous VET training. These people will be able to embrace the benefits of investing on well-being and building a transversal set of skills and competences, which aim to improve the quality of personal and professional life and thus persuade the leaders of organisations/companies to view the development of well-being at work as a priority and not as a luxury. •Practical Handbook for HR Managers (in-company VET trainers).Our project will offer the necessary content, tools and methodologies to in-company VET Trainers to develop organisations that have ingrained in their culture the notion of well-being. THRIVE@WORK aims to approach the matter systemically by involving all relevant stakeholders in order to encourage radical changes in organisations regarding stress prevention and enhancement of well-being matters<< Implementation >>Our onsortium will use evidence-based and scientifically proven methods deriving from Positive Psychology’s principles and specifically Seligman’s (2011) PERMA model (P-Positive Emotion, E-Engagement, R-Relationships, M-Meaning, A-Accomplishment). THRIVE@WORK aims to also emphasise on team-building, leadership skills and mentoring, since a Leader/Mentor has the power to shape and positively alter the attitudes of the team and cultivate a culture of well-being. Successful leaders are expected to inspire motivation, develop a vision that can be shared and accompany the development of individuals (Eurofound, 2017). Our Consortium will prepare material and practical applications to help HR Managers to acquire a variety of new skills that are currently needed in the changing workplace and the future priorities of the HR profession, in order be in a position to handle this top priority issue within their organisation and encourage and promote the notion of well-being and improve the overall working environment. The THRIVE@WORK consortium includes 6 partner organisations from 5 different countries (Cyprus, Belgium, Greece, Italy and Bulgaria), with a multi-disciplinary expertise and VET training experience in the fields of well-being at the workplace, team-building, Positive Psychology, Organisational Behaviour, Human Resources and Leadership Principles.ur approach is broken down into a series of stages incorporating research and analysis, design/planning and development, implementation, testing and evaluation. The PMC will play a major role in ensuring that agreed schedules are adhered to and make whatever changes are required to enhance the work of the consortium along the project’s implementation. The methodology to be employed involves the following key stages:STAGE A: State-of-the-art and development of EU Handbook for HR Managers. This is the initial research to take place amongst the target groups and will involve exploratory, descriptive and explanatory research, conducting both a primary and secondary research study, as a continuation to the preparatory secondary study already conducted by our consortium. The primary research to be conducted involves the design and implementation of a survey research through an online questionnaire answered by our key target group (i.e. HR Managers having the role of in-company VET trainers).STAGE B: Analysis of gathered data: We will conduct analysis of both the secondary and primary data gathered and then produce the EU Handbook for the development of well-being programmes, listing the key findings and practical steps for the utilisation of best practices identified (PR1). The handbook will target VET trainers, HR Managers/Officers, CEOs, Senior Executives, Department Heads etc., which will have an interest in developing comprehensive and current well-being programmes and a more positive organisational culture. This will then be made publicly available through the THRIVE@WORK website and it will be sent via email to a number of relevant stakeholders (public and private ones).STAGE C: By utilising the results from Stage B, the development of the THRIVE@WORK Training and Mentoring Programme will take place (PR2). Once the first version is ready, a Train-the-Trainers Workshop will take place in Belgium. Following this, each partner will implement a pilot training workshop with at least 15-20 participants (VET trainers that are also HR Managers/Officers), to receive valuable feedback from them on the quality of our THRIVE@WORK Training And Mentoring Programme and then finalise it. STAGE D: Development of Online Training Platform (PR3). This phase will involve the development of an online platform (based on planned actions in Stage C), which will be used for the delivery of the online THRIVE@WORK Training and Mentoring Programme, acting as a platform for the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and best practices between in-company VET Trainers that are also HR Managers/Officers.<< Results >>IMPACT (in line with Europe Mental Health Action plan 2013-2020):VET trainers that will study PR1 and PR2 will become more appreciative of this new training area that is projected to grow significantly in the coming years, as global statistics show that the workplace well-being industry was a $48 billion market in 2017 and is projected to grow to $66 billion in 2022. Thus it is expected that there will be high demand from corporations and individuals for these training and mentoring services in the near future. VET trainers will be encouraged to invest in their continuous professional development, through the offering of new training programmes. Also in-company VET trainers will be able to develop comprehensive well-being programmes for their organisations and train their company leaders and their colleagues on the same principles, having thus a multiplier effect.The development of a positive and well-being culture of organisations will be based on actions, policies, procedures and training content, all identified and developed through the THRIVE@WORK project. Senior leadership, beginning with the CEO/General Manager of an organisation and followed by the Team/Department Leaders and HR Specialists, should be able to understand the importance of creating such a culture and thus embracing this aim and making sure all strategic decisions are implemented in practice, over a short and long-term horizon.Also the long-term impact of our project relate to the following positive attributes associated with comprehensive and structured well-being programmes: •Amplify job satisfaction•Reduce workers burnout•Minimize absenteeism and turnover•Eliminate work-related stress and other mental health issues•Improve work-engagement•Elevated work performance •Increase Organisations productivity and profitability.OUTPUTS: • PR1: EU Handbook for the development of well-being programmes• PR2: THRIVE@WORK Training and Mentoring Programme• PR3: Online Learning Platform.For the dissemination purposes, a website will be developed along with the project’s social media pages. A final dissemination event will also take place in each participating country at the end of the project. Organisations with healthy and happy staff enjoy high levels of productivity, performance, engagement and ultimately long-term profitability and competitiveness. Less reported stress-related health issues or days of leave, burnout cases or turnover are expected. Also, improved employer branding of the organisations and subsequently increased talent attraction and retention.