Mental health support in the workplace is provided by more companies.
The 2019 National Happiness Award had given award to Medivivo, a company that provides mental health first aid, stress awareness and healthy eating advice to employees.
Medvivo have been named the happiest place to work due to their focus on the health of employees, whether physical or psychological.
They provide care services including GP off-hours services, a single point access, crisis response and a variety of technology-based nursing solutions.
Nicky Wood, HR Director of Medvivo said: “For an organisation which prides itself on putting patients at the heart of everything we do, creating a happy place to work is just as important. Our work relies on us to look after others, to do this we must ensure we are looking after ourselves.”
Medvivo has a Health and Welfare Working Group with representatives from across the enterprise. The team engages in a series of activities to interact with employees and provide a happier workplace.
Among the activities, Medvivo has brought pets as therapy to work, delivered stress management and mindfulness workshops, distributed health and wellbeing toolkits to remote workers and supported several charity events both in terms of health awareness and fundraising.
Medvivo Group has continued to invest in the professional and personal well-being of its employees as early as 2016. The “Access to Care”, “Telecare” and “Response” services operated by Medvivo support the local community in patient care and access to medical services. These services are open every day of the year, allowing employees based in Chippenham to work from other locations across the area.
JDRF, National, a company dedicated to eliminating type 1 diabetes was “delighted” to be nominated for the happiest workplace. The company is committed to funding and driving world class research on the treatment and prevention of type 1 diabetes. They also provide support to type 1 diabetes patients and their families.
JDRF, National regarded this nomination as a Highly Recommended Workplace Certificate. They took pride of place in the HR department for its contribution to maintaining a happy workplace.
Dealing with mental health within the workplace
In order to create a positive mental working environment, it is key that employers, managers and employees take measures to recognize the warning signs and support the health of the people around us.
Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health problems. Sometimes they are stimulated by emotional problems or the death of a loved one, but they may also be caused by work-related problems.
Whether the work causes health problems or leads to bad mental health, employers have a legal responsibility to help employees. Companies need to provide help in time, and proper medical assistance is even more important.
The TUC offers the Mental Health and Workplace Workbook online, which is more than just a manual designed to be actively used in courses, branch meetings and informal discussions. It also seeks to ask questions to stimulate discussion and debate, enabling individuals and groups to challenge mental health discrimination and promote equality wherever they work and in the community.
Employees not only need to find their own methods when facing psychological stress, but also need to understand common mental health problems, be aware of the possible diversity of issues that affect mental health, and be proactive Prevention of stress-related mental illness.