IWM Invest In Employee Mental Wellbeing Program

Having had to contend with a worldwide pandemic and all of the issues that have arisen off the back of the pandemic, if the last year has taught us anything it is the importance of Mental Wellbeing. Here at Industrial Washing Machines Ltd we have many different employees to look after. With this in mind, as a caring and responsible employer it was imperative to look at ways to help support our employees in all areas of mental health. Mental Wellbeing In The Workplace According to the National Institute for Health & Care Excellence (NICE), issues and situations that arise from mental health problems cost businesses in the region of £24 billion a year, truly highlighting the scale of the problem. Sadly mental health is still an aspect of health that is not given the same amount of attention and nurture that physical health often gets. Although as a society we are becoming more in tune with our mental wellbeing, and are actively encouraged to look after ourselves mentally too, raising mental health issues in the workplace is still an uncomfortable thought for many. Discussing a physical ailment such as a broken wrist or a migraine with your employer seems a more natural and probable thing to do than approaching your employer to discuss a mental health problem. Due to some taboo still surrounding mental wellbeing in the workplace, it is vital that employers are equipped with the knowledge and expertise they need to support employees who are experiencing mental health difficulties. Employees should know what to look out for, and how best to approach a situation that involves someone’s mental health. Here at IWM we recognise as an employer of (insert number of staff here) staff how important it is to know what to do and how to help. Equally, it is just as important that anyone in a position of responsibility is just as prepared to manage the situation in a serious manner and provide the right care. Getting Started Did you know that poor mental health is one of the most common reasons behind staff absences? Our company wants to not only be able to support those experiencing mental difficulties, but to also be able to help create an environment that enhances mental wellbeing. The question was how do we build the foundations that could enable IWM to meet mental wellbeing challenges,and provide employees with an avenue of support? IWM decided the first port of call was to work with an experienced 3rd party that could ensure we had the tools such as training, documentation and support outlets such as phones, live chat and emails. We narrowed the field down to Citation – a leading Health & Safety and HR & Employment Law consultancy, helping over 50,000 clients across the UK future proof their businesses with best-practice compliance. Powered by a team of highly qualified consultants, their unrivalled advice, support and management software has enabled IWM to offer its employees full up to date legal and personal tools to cover their needs in a manner that ensures confidentiality and privacy. Chantelle Rhodes is one of our employees taking part in the IWM Mental Wellbeing training. She has recently studied and passed First Aid for Mental Health covering: • Identifying mental health conditions • Providing advice and starting a conversation • Stress • Mental health conditions • Drugs and alcohol • First Aid for Mental Health action plan • First Aid for Mental Health in the workplace Chantelle along with other employees will be expanding her knowledge to be a first line of support on site if needed pointing employees in the right direction to meet their specific needs. What Next? We want to encourage as many people as possible in the business to partake in mental health awareness training, in particular managers who have a responsibility to look after teams. By providing mental health awareness training for managers, we hope to show a commitment to a better work-home life for everyone and as a result, unlock many other positive opportunities for the business.

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