Pirate Diaries - Mental Health

What are the Pirate Diaries?

A big part of what defines a company is its employees. We truly value our Pirates’ well-being and satisfaction as staff members. We encourage our team to use their voices and bring their own opinions to the table when developing modern company values.

Through “Pirate Diaries” we want to introduce our crew members while discussing important topics such as remote work, work-life-balance, inclusion and diversity. Let’s meet the crew and see what a Pirate’s Life can be like!

Safe spaces are crucial for employees' mental health

When someone breaks their leg, the conventional wisdom is to rest up and get better at your own pace. But how often are mental health issues afforded the same respect in the workplace?

It’s fair to say that stigma around one's health, when the problem doesn’t necessarily present physical symptoms, has been a problem for a long time. At HolidayPirates we’re keen to ensure that employees feel comfortable acknowledging and dealing with mental health challenges without judgment. To that end, we interviewed Vivien Schwarz-Elbelazi (she/her), our Head of People and Culture for her take on her experience of how mental health and wellness is prioritized on board at HolidayPirates.

Finding balance

“I manage my role as Head of People and Culture in this rapidly growing company, but I’m also raising two young children and occasionally working as a business coach. The stresses of a modern lifestyle are not lost on me. I think I manage fairly well all things considered.”

“At HolidayPirates I’m able to conduct my leadership role, with the flexibility I require to be a really active parent to my two kids. With the benefits of the flexible and remote first working model my job isn’t locked in to the traditional 9 to 5. I can take days off at short notice - my colleagues have my back, and equally, I’m empowered to support them when necessary. One of our most important company values is comradery, we really live this every day - it’s part of what makes this place so wonderful to work at.”

‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’

“There is no one size fits all solution but by raising awareness of the options we hope that we actively prevent issues rather than rely exclusively on implementing support after the fact. For people who feel like they are struggling, we have an overview of support numbers, doctors and procedures for psychological problems and our market leads and HR representatives strive to be as approachable as possible with these matters.”

“There was a great training seminar on how to cultivate mental well-being followed by weekly sessions to practice the methods we learned. In terms of practical steps we take at HolidayPirates, we try to understand that mental health issues look different for everyone.”

“I personally feel absolutely comfortable talking with my manager about mental health issues, he’s very understanding. Twice now there have been moments where I felt my work responsibilities were beginning to overwhelm me and we found a quick fix as well as a long- term arrangement to help ease things.”

“Personally, I’m not so much into morning Yoga classes but others are really enjoying free classes along with some other benefits we are offering.”

Stay tuned for more insights behind the scenes at HolidayPirates Group!

About HolidayPirates:

HolidayPirates, the UK arm of the HolidayPirates Group, is a travel deals platform with a mission to make travel accessible and affordable for everyone.

Our team of travel experts find and curate the best value-for-money deals from packages, flights and hotels, through to car hire, holiday homes, luxury stays and weekend breaks. We also work with leading travel brands to source exclusive offers that simply cannot be found anywhere else.

HolidayPirates takes the time and hassle out of finding genuine travel bargains by sharing deals directly across our website, WhatsApp, newsletters, mobile app, and on social media. 2 million travel enthusiasts visit our website every month, plus we have over 2.2 million followers on social media – the largest of any travel brand in the UK.

Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Berlin, the HolidayPirates Group operates in 10 countries – the UK, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and the United States. Our expert editorial teams around the world inspire over 20 million consumers every month to travel, explore and holiday more for less.

Press contact

Annabelle Rennie
PR & Communications Manager UK

E-Mail: [email protected]

E-Mail: [email protected]