Mental health expert, Messy Bessy team up with TELUS to honor the strength of women-focused support groups

IN time for Women’s Month, TELUS International Philippines (TIP), a leading provider of customer experience (CX) and digital IT solutions, showcases its programs and activities to engage its team members, support the communities, and promote diversity and inclusion. The company likewise shared how women at work faced issues that have become more apparent due to the pandemic – from livelihood and financial stability to mental wellness, and personal development.

“Our resource groups played a significant role as we shifted to a remote work set-up. For our team members, these resource groups served as strong support systems and paved the way for them to share their unique points of view and find similar experiences with each other,” said TELUS International Philippines Country Vice-president, Mirei Magallona.

The Connections Women’s Network, TIP’S womenfocused resource group, is one of the programs within the company that fosters an inclusive and diverse work environment. The group supports the needs and interests of team members who identify as female while supporting their professional and personal development.

“Having that sense of belonging, of knowing that those around you accept you for who you are, it's a very liberating and exhilarating feeling. Being a part of a company with empowered women and with allies who all go the extra mile to help you succeed in your personal and professional life can greatly reduce stress, boost your confidence and resilience, and encourage rapport and collaboration in the workplace,” said Jonabee Beltran-catura, Operations Director at TIP and Co-chair of Connections Women’s Network.

When it comes to mental wellness, an often overlooked aspect of an employee’s wellbeing, TIP strives to support team members through organizing classes in partnership with mental health experts. They’ve focused on mindfulness, balancing work and home life, mitigating isolation brought about by the pandemic, and boosting productivity when working from home. They’ve also organized talks and workshops to help female-identifying team members address unique concerns they may be facing during the pandemic. These workshops included homeschooling 101, breast cancer awareness, domestic violence, and budgeting for yourself and your family. Through these sessions, team members are able to apply what they learned to their current situations, which then benefits their work performance and overall disposition as they either continue to work remotely or for some, report back to the office for limited periods of time.

“During this time, it is crucial to create an accepting environment and for us to explore all means possible to build that. In understanding and empathizing with what women like you may be going through, it may contribute to you feeling lighter and supported. This can already spark meaningful connections that people crave as we have to be socially distant for now,” said Dr. Gia Sison, an occupational medicine and mental health expert.

Last year, TIP launched a new corporate social responsibility program (CSR) called “Titapreneur”. Created to help women in underserved communities to find another stream of income and acquire new skills to put up their own small business or pursue a side hustle, Titapreneur was first launched with TELUS International Philippines’ long-time beneficiary, Gawad Kalinga.

“Because of Titapreneur we now have an alternative source of livelihood which can help augment our daily expenses, this is a big help to us”, said Elizabeth Moral, one of the Titapreneur beneficiaries from Gawad Kalinga.

Messy Bessy, an eco-friendly local brand known for their personal and homecare products, is another partner of TELUS International Philippines. Since 2018, TELUS International Philippines has been supporting the livelihood initiatives of Messy Bessy by procuring tokens and giveaways from this brand.

“Women at TELUS International Philippines have a significant role to play in at work, at home, and in our communities. Since the pandemic began, many of our female team members also had to take on different roles - mothers, homeschoolers, breadwinners, caregivers, entrepreneurs and partners. These incredible women have done all that while continuing to deliver on our customer first promise. They are an exceptional force of nature that manages not only to support each other but to inspire the rest of our team members as well . And we are fully committed to continue developing programs that will allow our team members to feel embraced and push them to achieve their dreams and aspirations while creating an open and secure environment not just for women but for everyone else,” said Magallona.