Rested, ready and safer at Dornan Group
Feeling well rested is an important start to anybody’s work day. More so for people facing time sensitive, often physically challenging work in safety critical environments. With energy levels, concentration, and decision-making at stake, the importance of good sleep to employers is no longer just firmly tucked up at home.
It’s a wellbeing fundamental that the international engineering firm Dornan Group was quick to wake up to following an internal survey reported back on sleep issues. A chance networking session between Magdalena Widawska, Dornan’s Head of Wellbeing, and CiC Wellbeing’s Workplace Mental Health Specialist, Claire Neal, soon shone a light on sleep and recovery awareness at the specialist engineering giant.
Pilot programme
A specifically tailored, online healthy sleep programme ran in March 2026 as part of Dornan’s annually themed wellbeing initiatives. The group coaching experience, delivered by an occupational psychologist to 15 employees who had applied to enrol, was delivered during a two-hour session using relatable examples and language – from working irregular hours at secluded sites, to international work travel. The participants – ten male and five female – also discussed self-care, parenting, and relaxation struggles, and were given a structured opportunity to share what works for them with their peers, and to set goals. These were implemented over a two-week test period, followed by joint feedback and reflection, with a sleep workbook provided for onward reference.
“There was high demand for places and feedback from the participants was very positive,” says Magdalena, who has overseen Dornan’s impressive wellbeing offer for the past eight years. “It offered practical and professional input that engaged the whole team. The format helped participants realise they weren’t alone and boosted motivation to achieve set goals.”
Sleep well
The group recorded impressive returns:
- a 27% increase in daily energy levels – critical for safe, sustained performance
- an 18% improvement in positive mood – aiding communication, teamwork and engagement
- a 13% reduction in stress levels – supporting good mental health and reducing burnout risk
- an 8% improvement in sleep quality – supporting recovery and resilience.
“Sleep isn’t just a personal wellbeing issue anymore,” says Claire. “It’s a safety, performance and mental health issue that employers are right to recognise. Supporting good sleep routines and fatigue management is just as important as managing workload – especially in a construction-related sector.
“Dornan understands the correlation between performance and tiredness. They are taking a proactive stance to better inform and equip their teams with this programme, while sending a strong cultural signal, normalising the conversation around an increasingly important aspect of wellbeing.”
Dornan proudly cites looking after its people as integral to its mission of safely delivering quality projects. With an ever-growing repertoire of health and wellbeing-related activities, and an annual all-staff survey for timely and meaningful data, their new CiC Wellbeing relationship looks set to flourish:
Magdalena concludes:
“From the start, I felt Claire understood and shared my passion for finding meaningful solutions. I valued the expertise and collaborative approach CiC Wellbeing offered.
“We are seeing increased awareness of mental health issues and self-care. I certainly hope to repeat the sleep programme and look at further wellbeing support with CiC Wellbeing in the future.”
