Page 17 - Full_BritainsTopEmployers_2018

Opening up to mental healthg up to mental health
Openin

H
Helplines, apps and strong support networks have given employees under strain an outlet but will elplines, apps and strong support networks have given employees under strain an outlet but will
certain company cultures always make people susceptible to poor mental health? By Suzanne Bearne Suzanne Bearne

manag
hen Doug King experienced e orts to tackle mental health in managers at Search Laboratory ers at Search Laboratory
have always done a great job of ve always done a great job of
have always done a great job of
W acute depression six years ago, the workplace. Sta have access to a ‘Eventually, ha
his productivity took a cognitive behavioural therapy app that I went to championin
championing and publicising this
championing and publicising this g and publicising this
resource, so I feel we already
r
nosedive, as did the quality of his hands out advice on how people can the doctor. resource, so I feel we already esource, so I feel we already
had a good platform to
had a good platform to ood platform to
work. “I had limited ability to multi- manage their moods. had a g
task and was unable to deal with any However, despite a strong That’s when build on. We recently
ran “Wellbeing Week”,
amount of stress or pressure,” says commitment by a number of I found out ran “Wellbeing Week”,
with optional lunchtime
King, a director of audit and assurance progressive companies, others are I was having with optional lunchtime
at Deloitte. When he visited his doctor, lagging behind, warns Emma Mamo, ac
activities that were free for sta to
activities that were free for sta to tivities that were free for sta to
King was put on sick leave and given head of workplace wellbeing at Mind. a nervous attend. We organised expert speakers ttend. We organised expert speakers
attend. We organised expert speakers
a
medication. Within a few days he was “We believe every employer has a breakdown’ to talk about a range of wellbeing
to talk about a range of wellbeing
in touch with a counsellor organised responsibility to support employees topics: a cognitive behavioural therapy
topics: a cognitive behavioural therapy
specialist spoke about challenging
through his employer. with mental health problems and specialist spoke about challenging
negative thinking, and we also
“As soon as I made Deloitte aware of promote the mental wellbeing of their negative thinking, and we also
the problems I was experiencing, they entire workforce,” she says. To start included mindfulness, emotional
included mindfulness, emotional
resilience, tness and nutrition.
were fantastic,” he says. “A colleague with, businesses should o er exible resilience, tness and nutrition.
Wellbeing Week was launched with
quickly understood my workload and working hours, regular catchups with Wellbeing Week was launched with
distributed it to other members of the managers, buddy systems, su cient posters bearing the strapline “Say
posters bearing the strapline “Say
Something”, which appeared on all our
team. A couple of our partners stayed in annual leave and subsidised gym Something”, which appeared on all our
internal communications too. During
touch with me to see how I was – I felt membership, she says. Mamo also internal communications too. During
Wellbeing Week, and in the week that
like I was under no pressure to return to recommends businesses prioritise Wellbeing Week, and in the week that
work and it was made clear to me that I tackling the work-related causes of followed, a number of my colleagues
followed, a number of my colleagues
emailed me to share their experiences
should only come back at the time that stress and mental health problems – emailed me to share their experiences
was right for me.” He says the level of such as long working hours, excessive of poor mental health. People were
of poor mental health. People were
support from his employer helped his workload, unrealistic targets, and already starting to talk more openly,
already starting to talk more openly,
so I felt we’d taken an important step
recovery: “It really took the pressure poor relationships with managers and so I felt we’d taken an important step
o , so I could focus on getting better.” other colleagues. With rising levels of towards our objective.
towards our objective.
With poor mental health costing mental ill-health, it’s an area that can’t
the economy up to £99bn annually – be ignored.
£42bn of which is borne by employers, The emplo
The employeeyee
Alex Lane,
according to the government’s Alex Lane,
senior manager
Thriving at Work report, published Putting theory senior manager
at Accenture
earlier this year – it’s little wonder at Accenture
that a growing number of companies into practice
are investing more in supporting the
mental wellbeing of their sta .
Virgin Trains runs a number of The employer
Last year I started experiencing a racing
initiatives across the business to help Renae Jackson, Last year I started experiencing a racing
raise awareness of mental health and head of HR heart, feeling quite panicky and having
heart, feeling quite panicky and having
encourage sta to discuss it. These at Search very cloudy thoughts. I spent a lot of
very cloudy thoughts. I spent a lot of
include access to complementary Laboratory time covering up the symptoms but
time covering up the symptoms but
they became more intense. I con ded
therapies and a 24-hour assistance they became more intense. I con ded
in a couple of trusted colleagues and
line, as well as teams dedicated to in a couple of trusted colleagues and
they suggested I call our Bupa Healthy
improving the mental and physical they suggested I call our Bupa Healthy
Minds helpline at work. That was a
wellbeing of employees. “We want to Talking about both mental and Minds helpline at work. That was a
turning point for me; the call was the g point for me; the call was the
turnin
make sure our employees are not only physical wellbeing at work is turning point for me; the call was the
equipped to look after their physical extremely important. We wouldn’t beginnin
beginning of a journey of trying to look g of a journey of trying to look
beginning of a journey of trying to look
returned to the o ce, one of my aims
after myself, mentally and physically. er myself, mentally and physically.
after myself, mentally and physically.
ended up making an emergency
wellbeing but also their mental health, ignore a broken leg, so we shouldn’t aft ended up making an emergency them. I had six sessions of counselling, returned to the o ce, one of my aims
them. I had six sessions of counselling,
‘
which I was initially sceptical about
was to champion work around mental
doctor’s appointment for me. That’s
I was r
I was really worried about calling eally worried about calling
and how to get support if they need it,” be ignoring mental wellbeing either. I was really worried about calling doctor’s appointment for me. That’s which I was initially sceptical about ‘I continue I continue was to champion work around mental
to benefi t t
the helpline, but these people deal
the helpline, but these people deal
when I found out I was actually
but would now recommend, as I
says Megan Taylor, head of health and As well as the moral business case, the helpline, but these people deal when I found out I was actually but would now recommend, as I to benefi health and wellbeing – and now, as an
health and wellbeing – and now, as an
wellbeing for Virgin Trains on the east there’s the nancial one as well. If w experiencing a nervous breakdown. continue to bene t from them. When from the active member of our Mental Health
from the
experiencing a nervous breakdown.
active member of our Mental Health
continue to bene t from them. When
with similar situations on a daily
with similar situations on a daily ith similar situations on a daily
I returned to work, I wasn’t thrown
coast. The company has also signed we don’t create a culture where sta basis. W I was prescribed anti-depressants I returned to work, I wasn’t thrown Allies programme and Truly Human
basis. We had a long conversation,
Allies programme and Truly Human
basis. We had a long conversation, e had a long conversation,
counselling’
which involved an assessment, and volved an assessment, and
which involved an assessment, and
movement, I try to raise awareness
back into it; I was welcomed back, and
and signed o work for four months.
the Time to Change employer pledge , can talk openly, there could be high which in and signed o work for four months. back into it; I was welcomed back, and counselling’ movement, I try to raise awareness
only worked two or three days a week
Accenture were brilliant about it. My
the counsellor recommended that I
across the business. I am proud of the
which encourages workplaces to create volumes of absence and pressure on the counsellor recommended that I PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY I was prescribed anti-depressants only worked two or three days a week across the business. I am proud of the
Accenture were brilliant about it. My
proactive approach Accenture is taking
urgently speak to a doctor and take a gently speak to a doctor and take a
urgently speak to a doctor and take a
bosses told me to not check emails or
a safe working environment for sta wider teams. For a few years now ur PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY bosses told me to not check emails or initially. It was up to me to how much proactive approach Accenture is taking
initially. It was up to me to how much
to help its people be their best selves
course of therap
course of therapy. Weeks later, after y. Weeks later, after
I wanted to talk about it. It was still
my phone, and it was up to me as to
with mental health issues. Technology we’ve o ered private face-to-face course of therapy. Weeks later, after my phone, and it was up to me as to I wanted to talk about it. It was still to help its people be their best selves
also plays a role in the company’s counselling sessions for sta . The one particularly bad night, my wife how much I wanted to communicate to a tricky situation for me, but when I every day.
one particularly bad night, my wife
every day.
a tricky situation for me, but when I
how much I wanted to communicate to

16 3 February 2018 Be happy! 1717