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Airwave Motorola Solutions

Our technology platforms in communications, software, video and services help our customers work safely and more efficiently. Whether it’s helping firefighters see through smoke, enabling police officers to see around street corners, or reliably keeping the lights on in homes and businesses around the world, our work supports those who put their lives on the line to keep us safe. Bring your passion, potential and talents to Airwave Motorola Solutions, and help us usher in a new era in public safety and security.

We have a people first philosophy which encourages all employees to contribute to their fullest potential. We understand and embrace the belief that our differences are what makes us a team – challenging us, pushing boundaries and encouraging new ways of thinking. We actively seek globally diverse individuals, opinions, cultures and abilities to expand our talent pool and drive innovation.

Mark’s Story

Airwave Mark [square]
Mark

Mark is a Mental Health First Aider at Airwave, alongside his ‘day job’ as Head of Field Operations. He is one of a number of employees who have received training as Mental Health First Aiders. Airwave takes the mental health and well-being of its employees very seriously.

The part of the business that Mark oversees is largely male-dominated – field engineers who work from home. Mark is familiar with male-dominated environments, being an ex-forces man himself, like many of the engineers he works with. The culture in these environments is often not conducive to people being open about stress or mental health issues.

However, during the recent Coronavirus pandemic, the level of stress substantially increased for many people. Mark noticed that the take-up of the mental health service at Airwave grew six-fold. For some people, minor concerns became magnified during lockdown.

The Mental Health First Aiders are able to listen to employees who are struggling, and offer advice. Airwave also offer a confidential counselling service to employee, delivered by a third-party company. If an employee would benefit from time away from work to recover properly, this is granted, with a supportive return to work at the right time.

The training received by Mental Health First Aiders is to be a supportive first port of call to employees, and they can suggest employees seek professional help if they feel this is required. They can also support colleagues who may have been involved in traumatic events, such as the recent train derailment at Stonehaven. Sometimes people are affected at the time, whereas for others, it may be felt some time later. Support is also offered to the Mental Health First Aiders themselves, and they have a forum to support each other.

Mark is an ideal person to carry out this role. He has lived experience, having a close family member struggling with mental health, and the stigma attached to it, it is often seen as a weakness, particularly in male-dominated, environments. When this affected his family life, he realised that ‘just getting on with things’ wasn’t the way to manage it. Thankfully, it ended in a positive outcome, and this experience prompted Mark to want to help others and to try to remove the stigma surrounding mental health. Mental health is as important as physical health, and it is crucial that the stigma is broken down, and people have access to whatever support they need.

Airwave work hard to ensure that all employees know what support is available and how to access it.

Barrie’s Story

Barrie is a Lead Integration Engineer for Airwave, and recently received his 15 years of service award. Partway through his career with Airwave, in 2007, Barrie had a horrific motorcycle accident, resulting in multiple severe injuries. This meant undergoing 14 surgeries involving lots of metal plates, and requiring over a year off work, and leaving him, not unsurprisingly, disabled.

Throughout this episode, Airwave were very supportive, particularly his manager, arranging a phased return to work. At first, Barrie found it difficult to walk or lift things, and his tasks were adapted accordingly. Whilst his mobility and so on have improved over the years, Barrie still remains disabled in some ways.

Barrie doesn’t feel his disabilities hold him back in the workplace at all. He has received promotion in the years since his accident, and feels just as valued as he ever did.

Because of the nature of his role, which usually (outside Covid) involves lots of driving to numerous sites up and down the country, Barrie works from home. This isn’t a workplace adjustment because he is disabled; people in similar roles all work from home. Barrie says the company is generally very inclusive and accessible.

Some of the sites he visits aren’t owned by Airwave, but by clients, and some of those buildings aren’t so accessible, and may involve stairs. Barrie usually finds someone to help him carry heavy kit upstairs, and doesn’t feel he is unable to do any part of his job effectively.

Sometimes he works in Airwave’s Rugby office, and says his only irritation is when visitors to the offices park in the obviously designated parking for disabled people, when he is ‘obliged’ to block them in …

Click here to discover more about inclusion at Airwave Motorola

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