12th November 2019
City Employers Join Forces to Improve Mental Health

 

A few members of the Wesport Team attended an event on the 4th November 2019. This event was aimed at introducing a new programme to support Bristol city's employers and employees. This programme aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of their employees, and to support other organisations to do the same.

Mental health is an issue that can have a huge impact upon individuals, their employers and the wider economy. 

39% of employees have described work as having contributed to their mental health issue over the past 12 months, and 49% don’t feel comfortable talking to their line manager about their own mental health. With one in four people dealing with a mental health issue, it’s likely that many of our colleagues may be struggling. Bristol’s employers are now joining together to strengthen the support available for employees across the city. 

Linking with the national Thriving at Work Leadership Council, the Department of Work and Pensions, the Department of Health and Social Care, and mental health charity Mind, Bristol has become the first city in the country to sign up to the new Mental Health at Work Commitment. It provides a framework of support for employers wanting to take action.

A range of local employers are making this commitment, from large companies like Burges Salmon to smaller organisations like Windmill Hill City Farm, with the aim of at least 50 Bristol employers signing up over the year ahead. 

Building upon this commitment, city employers are launching a new programme of work at the Thriving at Work Bristol conference (1pm, 4 November) to put in place and evaluate extra support needed to create mentally healthy workplaces. They are inviting employers across the city to get involved in testing new approaches in their own workplaces and then sharing what they have found.

To read the event presentations and a summary of the next phase of Thriving at work click this button...