Hussle x huntsman Savile Row x Hussle

Author: Barbara Solis – HR Manager at Huntsman Savile Row

Barbara has over a decade of experience in business management and people operations. Her expertise spans the finance, management consulting and luxury retail sectors. As an experienced people manager, Barbara constantly seeks new ways to improve employee engagement and create a positive work environment. In her spare time, Barbara enjoys staying active by playing tennis, practicing Pilates, and swimming.

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• Could you give a brief overview of the company you work at, such as the nature of the business, how many employees and what countries it operates in?

Huntsman on Savile Row, is a renowned British tailoring house that prides itself on its commitment to excellence in bespoke tailoring and sophisticated Ready-to-Wear collections. Established in 1849, the brand caters to a discerning clientele, including global leaders, celebrities, and royalty. Huntsman has even inspired the popular Kingsman movie franchise!

With a rich legacy of 175 years, we take great pride in our history. But our team is equally important to us, and we treat them like family. Our collective team of approximately 60 members across our London and New York locations serves clients around the world.

• What fitness benefits and support do you offer your employees?

Our shop workers spend most of their time standing on their feet, which can be physically taxing. To help them stay healthy and flexible, we offered on-site Pilates sessions. However, these became less popular over time, with a participation rate of less than 10%, and many colleagues found them inconvenient or unappealing.

To provide a more inclusive approach, we partnered with Hussle. This allowed all our employees to have discounted access to a wide range of gyms, pools, and spas across the UK. The launch of this initiative was met with enthusiasm, and approximately 25% of our workforce signed up within the first month.

Our employees appreciate the flexibility Hussle provides. They can choose from a wide range of venues and access fitness facilities even when travelling. Along with the fitness benefits, we also offer Private Health Insurance, an Employee Assistance Program, regular training and development, and quarterly social events. These incentives demonstrate our genuine care for our employees' health and well-being.

Alongside Hussle’s fitness benefits, we also provide our employees with Private Health Insurance (which is another very popular incentive), an Employee Assistance Program, regular training and development, and quarterly social events.

• If you have employees that work remotely or in a hybrid model, is this support still applicable to them?

We are proud to say that our workforce is incredibly diverse, spanning various ages, backgrounds, and lifestyles. For example, our client managers and tailors have more dynamic routines, spending a lot more time on their feet and working onsite, whilst the office staff generally spend more time desk-based and can often work remotely. 

Finding things to support wellbeing that work for everyone can be challenging. However, we’ve seen that employees really appreciate having access to a range of activities that fit in with the different lifestyles that they lead, so we have made this benefit accessible to all full-time employees.

• How do you ensure you offer what staff need and want?

We regularly survey our employees to understand what is important to them regarding benefits. This helps us tailor our offerings to meet their needs effectively, leading to a noticeable boost in morale. Listening to people and asking for input on their preferences can go a long way.

We need to let people know that it’s okay for them to take the time to look after themselves. Building a culture of support and balance is definitely key. We’ve certainly seen that all perks in relation to wellness are very high on people’s preference lists. After all, happy employees are more productive and make for a happier workplace.

Engagement with fitness through Hussle is a conversation that comes up quite organically. If, during appraisals or 1-1 meetings, a staff member explains that they are stressed, it’s one of the suggestions we can make, to support our staff in coping with the daily stresses of work and their outside lives.

• Why did you decide to introduce this?

When I was initially approached by Hussle, I recognised an opportunity to support our workforce better. We wanted to find a solution that most people would like to use. Stress and burnout have been challenges at our company in the past, and the Pilates classes that we offered, though beneficial, weren’t particularly popular.

I had previously used Hussle, under their former brand name ‘Pay as You Gym’, so I was aware of the flexibility it could bring to our employees. Hussle’s pricing model meant the incentive was cost-effective for our organisation, as we have to work within limited budgetary constraints.

• Why is it important to offer this support to staff?

Thanks to Hussle, our employees have the potential to access an outlet which allows them to release stress within their day-to-day roles. Thanks to the variety that the offering brings, we can support a full range of fitness preferences – whether someone wants to go and pump some iron in the gym, go for a swim, or even just relax in the sauna for 15 minutes after work, it’s a really good way to help them unwind.

Beyond this, we also advertise our benefits within our recruitment processes. It’s very attractive in our industry, and Huntsman is recognised as having one of the best well-being offerings within our sector. We’ve seen that this can be a decisive factor when recruitment prospects decide whether to join our company.

For more information visit: hussle.com