Important boost for employee mental health announced
Employers are becoming increasingly aware of the need to provide their employees with mental health support but are unsure who they should turn to, according to Dave Leverton from Unlimited Wellbeing (https://www.unlimitedwellbeing.co.uk/) who says that it's fantastic to see attitudes surrounding mental health starting to change although much more needs to be done, especially in the workplace.
An increase in mental health awareness, combined with many employers seeing a rapid increase in the number of long term absences related to issues such as stress and anxiety, mean that mental health is a subject that company bosses simply can't ignore. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) recently reported that 26.8 million working days are being lost annually due to mental ill health with an overall cost to the economy of £70 billion.
"The workplace has changed considerably over the last ten years or so," explains Leverton. "Traditionally health & safety was about preventing slips, trips and falls and employers knew how to handle those things because you can see them. Mental health is different though, often the first indication that an employee is struggling is when they phone in sick by which time it's too late. Much more needs to be done in the workplace to educate managers and ensure that staff have access to the proper support."
Unlimited Wellbeing, who already offer a comprehensive range of workplace health & wellbeing services have announced a unique working partnership with mental health experts, Red Umbrella which allows both companies to share resources and offer what Leverton describes as "the most dynamic employee wellbeing package available anywhere." (https://www.unlimitedwellbeing.co.uk/workplace-wellbeing)
"By working with Red Umbrella, we are able to introduce a range of mental health services that complement the work we already do," says Leverton. "Not only can we offer high quality training for employees at all levels, including the appointment of fully accredited mental health first aiders. We are also introducing a bespoke employee assistance programme dedicated to mental health."
The Unlimited Wellbeing Employee Assistance Programme (UWEAP) is open to employers of all sizes and gives staff access to a 24/7 emergency help line, as well as immediate access to full assessments, advice, relevant counselling, therapy, coaching, financial & legal advice. Company bosses can also offer their employees a free annual health check as part of the programme. Dave Leverton explains that many EAP's are under utilised and often ineffective. "When it comes to your mental health & wellbeing, you want to be able to speak to a highly trained professional who can help you straight away, not the same call centre person that sorts out Pizza Hut vouchers and such like. With our programme, employees can be assured that the person who answers the phone has the right skills and experience, and will know what they need to do."
The partnership also allows Red Umbrella (https://red-umbrella.co.uk/) to offer their clients an increased range of health & wellbeing services. and Managing Director, Tim Ladd believes it is an exciting opportunity for both companies. "" Life is all about balance, for us to be the best we can be. A sound body needs a sound mind and a and a sound mind needs a sound body. This reflects the perfect balance of our companies partnership as we each concentrate on mind and body respectively and bring the two together. Corporate clients don't have time to be shopping around and dealing with numerous suppliers. By working together, we can ensure that whichever company the client engages with, they can be sure of a high quality comprehensive service from people they can trust."
Unlimited Wellbeing are hosting The Unlimited Wellbeing Festival at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena on May 12th which marks the start of mental health awareness week. (https://www.unlimitedwellbeing.show/)