About BINGO Industries
BINGO is a leading recycling and waste management company providing services across NSW and VIC. They recover millions of tonnes of materials each year, manufacture recycled products to support a circular economy and prevent waste from ending up in landfill. BINGO is pushing new ground to help businesses and communities work towards a Waste Free Australia.
BINGO’s Chief People Officer, Jo Cairns, needed a new approach for the wellbeing and safety of their highly diverse workforce, known as GOGetters. The BINGO team comprises mobile workers working varied hours and a high number of English as a second language (ESL) staff, making for a varied and diverse set of cultural considerations.
The challenge
BINGO’s existing mental health counselling service was ineffective due to the stigma of seeking help in a male-dominated workforce, the need to self diagnose the underlying problem and limited accessibility outside of 9-5pm. As a result, issues went untreated, leading to increased absenteeism and claims.
The existing mental health counselling service was not working – for many reasons – least of all the stigma of asking for help, the need to self diagnose the underlying problem, and then hoping that a counselling session could help. Not to mention, the phone based appointment service, only available 9-5pm. As a result of this symptom centric approach, issues were left untreated and unrecognised, workers suffering in silence – often until breaking point – when increased absenteeism and claims became a common outcome. Jo and her team knew these challenges existed, but were blind to who, when, where and how they presented.
Accessible, relevant and trusted support was required to reach the team members who weren’t getting the help they needed across a range of medical and mental health needs. A tech driven solution that could be accessed wherever and whenever the team required, as a large proportion of the workforce is constantly on the move around Australia. Additionally, 24×7 multilingual support for spouses, partners and children was also important to ensure a more holistic care model.
"Through their holistic service offer. Sonder provides us with an amazing opportunity to extend the care we have for our people both in the workplace and at home. ensuring that our GOgetters feel supported in every aspect of their lives."
Chief People and Safety Officer at BINGO Industries
The solution
A new approach was needed. One which required a combination of cultural change, leader training and a simple, easily accessible support model. An approach which put their people first and lowered barriers to get confidential help. As a result, Sonder was introduced in September 2021, alongside an internal program called Speakup, which encouraged openness and sharing within the business. The combination of these initiatives would help drive cultural change and get more help, more easily to people in need. The existing and traditional EAP solution would be retired in place of a more modern approach to employee care.
The results
Within just four weeks, over 20% of the BINGO workforce had signed up to Sonder. The engagement of leaders from different business units proactively encouraged cultural change and adoption of Sonder. Stigma and cultural barriers have been broken down, leading to more employees reaching out for help, particularly during after-hours, with almost 50% of app usage occurring at night. Sonder’s human-centric model, supported by clinical staff, has successfully uncovered hidden issues and provided multi-faceted and timely support, ultimately aiming to provide early assistance to individuals and prevent the impact on their well-being, families, colleagues, and the business as a whole.
"We have had many BINGO members reach out, mostly through chat, many out of hours. So many of them have disclosed these are longstanding challenges they have faced, and have never asked for help before."
Medical Director at Sonder
Member stories
Member story one
After spending some time browsing articles on the Sonder app, a BINGO member reached out via chat to request help with anxiety caused by an unhappy marriage. A nurse triaged the situation using the Sonder wellbeing framework. Like over 50% of all support requests, with gentle probing, it became apparent there was much more to the story.
The member was going through a marriage breakdown and had been assaulted by their partner. Despite the violent crime, they hadn’t reported the issue.
There were a number of options to discuss, ranging from support with the police and appropriate legal services, to coping with divorce, and associated mental health support. The member was trying to cope with all this whilst managing a full time job, and being a full time parent! The Sonder team provided advice (mainly after hours) around each issue – and followed up to ensure the member was getting the help they needed.
Every situation is unique, and taking the time to understand the “hidden” stories ensures Sonder’s team provides the right support at the right time.
Member story two
People turn to Sonder for trusted advice – big and small. In this instance, a BINGO member requested medical advice. Within 10 min, late at night and over chat, meaningful advice was provided for this unique situation. The inquiry concerned vaccine effects on their partner during pregnancy. It was their first child, and very early stages, so the couple had not disclosed this exciting news to family or friends yet. Imagine… finding out you are about to be a parent for the first time, worried about a medical issue, and sourcing information to ensure the safety of your partner and bub… Peace of mind in less than 10 min!
When asked “who would have sought help from if you didn’t have access to Sonder?”, the answer was, “No one”. In this instance, and so many others like it, Sonder supported someone to care for their loved ones.
"It's like having access to a personal health advisor that can help answer my questions and help us make better informed decisions."
Member since 2021
