Heads Together - Mental Health Awareness

• Content
• People
• Heads Together - Mental Health Awareness

13 October 2017 | Updated 01 January 1970

The Compass Group has launched a campaign for its workforce, to raise awareness of mental health in the workplace and to provide colleagues with the support they need.

As part of this campaign, Compass has pledged to support employees, raise awareness and reduce the stigma around mental health within its health and wellbeing agenda. The business has also signed the Time to Change pledge, a growing movement which aims to support and change how people think and act about mental health, making sure that employees who are facing problems feel supported.

Statistics show that approximately one in four people in the UK will experience mental health problems each year. As a people-powered business, Compass is committed to further enhancing an open and inclusive workforce. Through this campaign, Compass has launched a new toolkit which is being rolled out across the business and delivers a set of guidelines to best support and promote positive mental health.

Compass has also introduced a network of 90 wellbeing ambassadors, made up of colleagues at all levels from across the business, who will help raise awareness, reduce the stigma around mental health in the workplace and encourage open conversations.

Chris Garside, Managing Director at Compass Group UK & Ireland, said: “We are extremely proud to have signed the Time to Change pledge and are absolutely committed to raising awareness around mental health and further enhancing a supportive and open working environment through our own campaign.”

“Experiencing mental health problems is something that any one of us can go through at any point and as a business with around 60,000 employees it is essential that we provide the support needed by our colleagues in the workplace. We hope the work we are doing will go a long way in encouraging and promoting positive mental health.”

Jo Loughran, Director of Operations at Time to Change, said: “We know it can be hard to talk about mental health, which is why we’re supporting employers to open up; to talk and to listen. Too many people with mental health problems are made to feel isolated, ashamed and worthless, but with the right support, those of us with mental health problems can recover and have equal opportunities in all areas of life. Everyone’s attitude makes a difference and it’s fantastic to see organisations like Compass Group UK & Ireland taking the lead.

“Many leading employers have found that making a strategic commitment to the mental wellbeing of their workforce not only benefits their staff but also their bottom-line, improving productivity and staff retention. With one in six British workers experiencing mental illness it's time for businesses to make a change and start creating more mentally healthy workplaces."

EMCOR UK

FM provider EMCOR held its inaugural Mental Health Awareness Week 9-13 October, 2017, in collaboration with Mind, the mental health charity. The event was occasioned by World Mental Health Day on Tuesday 10 October.

EMCOR organised a wide range of fun and interactive fundraising activities for its 4,000 employees, including an Office Olympic Challenge, Cake Bake Sale, and Team Talks.

EMCOR UK initiated a three-year collaboration with Mind, commencing January 2017, to raise awareness, promote understanding, and provide support to the company’s 4,000 employees about mental health and wellbeing. In May 2017, 70+ EMCOR UK staff members volunteered to become company Mind Champions responsible for raising funds and awareness to fellow employees located throughout the UK at a large number of customer and EMCOR UK locations. EMCOR UK has an on-going, bi-monthly campaign amongst its employees to raise awareness regarding the importance of mental health and provide Mind helpline phone numbers. 

During EMCOR UK’s Mental Health Awareness Week, the company offered tips, information, advice, and support each day throughout the week with the objective of raising awareness regarding the importance of being keenly aware of and looking after their mental health. A dedicated telephone helpline for EMCOR UK employees has been introduced alongside the recruitment of EMCOR UK Mind Champions and trained mental health staff to lead the programme and host a series of EMCOR UK Mind Days across the UK.

Chris Kehoe, Group Executive Director, EMCOR UK, is leading the collaboration with Mind and commented: “EMCOR UK is delighted to have the opportunity to work with Mind and help raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing within its workplaces. Our collaboration with Mind is part of a wider Wellbeing Programme we have developed to deliver a programme of information and activities designed to help advance good mental health practices.”

Vanessa Newton, Head of Fundraising Strategic Development for Mind, said: “Mind’s collaboration with EMCOR UK, and its inaugural Mental Health Awareness Week, is a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness about mental health problems at the many workplaces that EMCOR UK impacts across the country. We are very much looking forward to working closely with EMCOR UK, particularly in the lead up to World Mental Health Day on Tuesday 10 October.”

At least one in six people report experiencing a common mental health problem (such as anxiety and depression) in any given week, and one in four people will experience a mental health issue in any given year in the UK.[1] Moreover, a representative survey of 1,000 UK employees conducted by BMG Research in March 2017[2] has found that one third of days off at work in the UK are taken as a direct result of work-related pressure or stress.

Picture: You are not alone - some other big names are supporting the mental health awareness campaign

Article written by Cathryn Ellis | Published 13 October 2017

Share

Related Articles