Wellbeing & Flexible Working

At the HPRA we are committed to providing a positive employee experience. We achieve this through different initiatives and policies, all designed to benefit our employees and to allow them to promote a positive work/life balance. Here you will discover details on our Employee Assistance Programme, our journey to achieve an IBEC Keep Well Mark, our Health & Wellbeing programme and policies aimed at fostering flexible working.

Employee Assistance Programme

The HPRA's Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), is available to all employees, their partners or spouse and any dependants over the age of 16 years, living at home.

The HPRA's EAP is a confidential employee support service designed to support employees resolve personal or work related concerns, through telephone support, specialist information and telephone or face to face counselling. The EAP is completely confidential and voluntary.

The EAP offers 24/7 support in the following areas:

  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Family Problems
  • Financial Worries
  • Questions on a legal matter
  • Consumer advice
  • Marital or relationship problems
  • Loss & grief
  • Help with career planning
  • Worries about physical health

IBEC KeepWell Mark

The HPRA was the first public sector body to achieve the KeepWell Mark in 2018, a national accreditation that recognises workplace wellbeing.  The HPRA has been re-accredited every 2 years, most recently under the enhanced accreditation framework in 2024. This is part of an ongoing commitment by the HPRA to provide the highest standard of workplace wellbeing and health and safety to our employees.

The KeepWell Mark is an evidence-based accreditation and award that recognises and rewards Irish employers for investing in workplace health and wellbeing. Its aim is to help organisations benchmark workplace wellbeing activities through a set of systematic and methodical steps.

The HPRA have also received 'best in class' in two categories at the annual Keep Well mark annual awards:

  • Best in Class Mental Health award

The HPRA received the award of Best in Class: Mental Health in the KeepWell Mark annual awards. Focusing on the mental wellbeing of our employees is a key pillar of our wellbeing strategy. We recognise the need to reduce stigma in the workplace and provide accessible resources and supports to our employees. We aim to create an environment where everyone feels supported and secure in talking about their mental health.

  • Best in Class Leadership award

The HPRA received the award for Best in Class: Leadership: in the KeepWell Mark annual awards. This award recognises the HPRA's continuous dedication to invest in the area of workplace wellbeing. We aim to lead by example and create a wellbeing programme that benefits all employees.

  • Top 100 Companies Leading in Wellbeing Index

The HPRA was listed in the IBEC'S Top 100 Leading in Wellbeing Index for three consecutive years. This shows we are leading the way in workplace wellbeing and that we are true to our mission of supporting everyone feeling good about themselves, enabling resilience and the building of positive relationships that help us cope with daily work life demands, perform at our best and achieve as a team.

Health & Wellbeing Programme

Many factors, both inside and outside the workplace, contribute to an individual's wellbeing. The HPRA is committed to providing an organisational culture where employees are empowered and encouraged to make healthy lifestyle choices. Through the commitment of our Health & Wellbeing Committee we deliver an annual programme of events which help us to achieve the overall aims, objectives and goals we have for employee health and wellbeing. Initiative in the programme relate to financial wellbeing, physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing, family wellbeing and disease awareness.

Flexible Working

We offer a range of different flexible arrangements that help contribute to a positive employee experience. Below are some examples of flexible working in the HPRA:

  • Hybrid working: We offer hybrid working which requires employees to work in the HPRA offices a minimum of 2 days per week and to work from home/remote location up to a maximum of 3 days per week. Our Hybrid working policy aims to support the organisation's needs, the needs of our teams, as well as the implementation of other flexible working arrangements, to support work/life balance.
  • Flexi-leave: After 6 months service employees may be able to avail of flexi-leave with hours they have built up.
  • Flexible working hours: We operate flexible working hours through our core hours system. This system aims to provide work-life balance to employees. The general maximum hours employees work is 35 hours per week. Core hours provide a time band of when employees must commence and cease their working hours.