Work is a major part of our lives. On average we spend 1795 hours a year in the workplace – that’s almost ⅓ of your life. With this amount of time spent outside of personal and leisure time, it’s really important that we feel happy, fulfilled and safe in our working environment.
According to a study by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1 in 6.8 people experiences mental health problems in the workplace (14.7%). There can be specific causes to mental health problems; a traumatic event, working conditions and our environment or sometimes it’s simply just how we feel. Mental health issues can affect anyone, any day of the year – World Mental Health Day is observed on 10th October every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilising efforts in support of mental health.
Despite the growing awareness, there’s still a social stigma attached to speaking about mental health problems in the workplace. A new survey of 2,000 workers which was commissioned by the Mental Health Foundation for World Mental Health Day has revealed that 38% of British workers wouldn’t talk openly about a mental health problem for fear it would affect their job prospects or job security.
WMHD is just one day each year. For Portico, every day is an opportunity to start a conversation about mental health and break down the stigma that often surrounds it. It’s really healthy to know and say how you’re feeling.
We are committed to developing our approach to mental health in the workplace, protecting and improving mental health for our people, whilst supporting those who experience distress. We value mental health and wellbeing as core assets to our business and have dedicated experts on hand when we recognise any problems that can become serious. So here’s an insight into what we do at Portico to push this topic to the forefront of our business;
Our Employee Assistance Programme
The EAP at Portico – our Employee Assistance Programme has been created especially for anyone that is struggling and needs to speak to one of our experts. The level of support is second to none, making the most of their potential and helping our people cope with what life throws at them. This can help them to get back to playing a full part in their relationships, workplace and community.
Mental Health Awareness Training
Good mental health at work and good management go hand in hand and there is strong evidence that workplaces with high levels of mental wellbeing are more productive. Addressing wellbeing at work increases productivity by as much as 12%.
We believe that it’s not just about being comfortable enough to talk about the problems, it’s fundamental that our management plays a crucial role in supporting our people that experience distress and/or mental health problems. At Portico, we support the development of compassionate and effective line management relationships – providing opportunities for managers and supervisors to attend mental health awareness training and dedicated courses for mental wellbeing. We ensure that specialist training is matched with our ability to listen compassionately and act appropriately.
Mindfulness With a Monk
The training isn’t limited to our management and supervisors at Portico. Our Mindfulness with a Monk training is now in its 4th year and consistently receives praise from our people – opening and creating real conversations about mental health in the workplace. The mindfulness sessions with Gelong Thubten at The Hive, our learning & development academy, provide self-development opportunities to manage pressure and wellbeing, learning to focus on meditation to accept emotions – developing the ability to think calmly and reduce stress.
‘With a breath, you can bring calm, clarity and rest your thinking.’ – Thich Nhat Hanh, one of the world’s most renowned Buddhist leaders who advocates using mindfulness to find fulfilment in life.
If you’re looking to find out more about our supportive work for mental health and wellbeing, then we’d love to hear from you! Feel free to say hello to us at Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Sources:
World Health Organisation
World Federation for Mental Health
Mental Health Foundation
Ideapod
Royal College of Psychiatrists
Mind