Since July 2022, Best&Less has taken significant strides in investing in the health, safety, and wellbeing of its employees, affectionately known as ‘Besties’.

Best&Less has identified that Besties who accessed Sonder have improved employee retention rates, reduced absenteeism and increased employee engagement scores. These improvements have resulted in approximately $1.1 million in savings to the bottom line, emphasising the business case for all organisations to prioritise the health, safety, and wellbeing of their people.

With over 3,800 employees nationwide, Best&Less recognised the importance of creating a supportive and safe environment for team members, which led to the partnership with Sonder. After implementing Sonder, Best&Less saw an immediate and positive impact with improved employee retention rates, reduced absenteeism and an increase of 8% in the company engagement score.

Best&Less WHS and injury manager, Fadia Nassif said, “Sonder has become an essential toolkit for keeping our Best&Less ‘Besties’ safe and well, not only in the workplace but also at home. The personal safety tools such as smart check-ins and journey tracking are particularly vital for our frontline workers, especially given the rise in anti-social behaviour. We strongly encourage our Besties to utilise these functions when travelling to and from work.

“Our focus now is on empowering our people leaders to proactively initiate wellbeing check-ins with Sonder, especially in high-risk areas. We view Sonder’s safety features as integral to our ongoing risk mitigation strategy. Additionally, the articles and resources within the app are invaluable, and we urge our leaders to leverage these tools when navigating difficult conversations, managing behaviour, or seeking guidance on mental health issues.”

Sonder chief people officer, Raechel Gavin highlighted the positive outcomes of the partnership: “Best&Less members engage with our app an average of 10 times per month, accessing support for mental health, medical, safety, and more. These interactions have led to happier, more engaged and productive employees who feel supported in all aspects of their lives.

“For Best&Less, this partnership has not only delivered a strong return on investment but has also significantly enhanced company culture, improved business performance, and mitigated the unpredictable costs and risks associated with poor staff wellbeing.”