Sarah Barsby, HR and Marketing Director at Intastop, discusses the importance of being a Mindful Employer during Mental Health Awareness Week.

Mental Health is a subject very close to our hearts, indeed we work closely with the sector to provide safeguarding and people protection solutions.

However, we also place great emphasis on mental health in our own workplace.

Commitment to our team

During Mental Health Awareness Week 2022 we will be reminding staff of our commitment to being a ‘Mindful Employer’ – a scheme that we are very proud to be part of.

Being part of the Mindful Employer scheme means that we have easy access to information to provide support to staff who may experience stress, depression, anxiety, or any other mental health condition. This equips us to provide assistance to staff, and to create a culture in our workplace where mental health is not a taboo subject. Indeed, it is a subject that is openly talked about.

Bigger Challenge

Figures from Mindful Employers suggest that 1 in 6 workers are dealing with a mental health problem and that costs businesses more than £30bn a year giving a clear indication of the challenges faced by both employers and employees.

It is this sort of figure that should encourage more businesses into becoming part of the scheme so that they too can offer specific support to their team. We have found it to be a great tool in protecting staff welfare, and to offering an extra layer of support to our greatest asset; our people.

Become a Mindful Employer

Ten key steps have been developed for employers to get on board and they cover three core elements, Engage, Educate and Embed.

Proven to improve employee engagement, the scheme recognises the way work can impact both negatively and positively on a persons mental wellbeing.  Be aware and be proactive, put a protective arm around your staff and you will see the benefits!

Mental Health Awareness Week 2022

Mental Health issues can manifest themselves in many ways and the theme of this years Mental Health Awareness Week is Loneliness – #Ivebeenthere. Reducing loneliness, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic, is key to establishing a mentally strong society, and our entire team at Intastop will also be backing the campaign to help tackle this much neglected part of mental wellbeing.