Commenting on the importance of Mental Health Awareness Week, Chief People Officer Sara Thompson said: “Mental health struggles are a huge driver of the health and workforce crises we’re experiencing in this country. At Phoenix Group we know that supporting our colleagues’ mental wellbeing is vital to helping them stay in meaningful work, and continue earning and saving for longer to protect their futures. As we mark Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re proud of the work our colleagues have done to build a more responsive and open culture around mental wellbeing, by championing initiatives such as our colleague-led Mind Matters network and access to a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme. Another key part of our approach is giving people the flexibility they need to adapt their working patterns to their individual circumstances with our Phoenix Flex policy. Building a mentally healthy workplace is an ongoing process, and we remain focused on listening to colleagues, reducing stigma, and embedding meaningful support across the whole business.”
Mind Matters is one of Phoenix Group’s many colleague networks whose goal is to raise awareness and promote mental health. The network addresses the stigma surrounding mental health and well-being across the business.
Commenting on the network as part of Phoenix Group’s celebration of Mental Health Awareness Week this year, David Lavender, Mind Matters’ co-chair, says he has witnessed the enormous benefits the network brings to all colleagues: “We believe that everyone experiences issues around their mental health and they should not have to go through difficult times in order to have empathy and understanding with others. This is why we are determined to ensure our colleagues can honestly talk about their mental health without fear and that our workplace will always have the resources in place to support them.”
“Our Mental Health First Aiders are a team of 27 Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) from all sites across the company, led by a wellbeing consultant. We currently have 12 new MHFAs in training who will join the team soon, emphasising the importance of this support in the workplace. Our Mental Health First Aiders play an important role in supporting, listening, and helping colleagues who are having a difficult time or a bad day and need to talk to someone. They are a point of contact for our colleagues from any office location.”
“The lockdown of 2020 was a turning point for mental health awareness particularly in the workplace and it was a time that made us all aware how much colleagues need to support each other; the conversation around mental health became more prominent than it has ever been. Five years on, our Mind Matters membership has grown exponentially, demonstrating that the conversation around mental health is more normalised in the workplace and we are determined to keep that conversation going.”
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