1. Managing Mental Health and Organisational Culture Louise Aston, Wellbeing Director, Business In the Community
Business in the Community is the Prince’s Responsible Business Movement.
Our members work together to tackle a wide range of issues that are essential to building a fairer society and a more sustainable future.
Wellbeing Campaign – driving sustainable performance / resilient organisations.
Addressing injustice around mental health – people suffering in silence because they feel unable to disclose because of widespread stigma
Inequality of mental health – needs to have the parity of esteem as physical health.
Normalise mental health – business as usual
Managing Mental Health and Organisational Culture

2. Content Business in the Community
Mental health – the scale of the issue
National employee mental wellbeing survey
Best practice
Content
Mental health – the culture of silence
The business and the moral case
8 key steps to embed wellbeing into organisational culture
Case studies
BITC Wellbeing Campaign

3. What we do
Business in the Community is the Prince's Responsible Business Network.
Our members work together to tackle issues that are essential to creating a fairer society and a more sustainable future.
We engage thousands of businesses through our programmes driven through a membership of more than 800 organisations from small enterprises to global corporations.
Business in the Community is the Prince's Responsible Business Network.
Our members work together to tackle a wide range of issues that are essential to creating a fairer society and a more sustainable future.
Business in the Community is The Prince’s Responsible Business Network and our members work together to tackle issues that are essential to building a fairer society
We are a business-led charity with more than 30 years' experience of mobilising business. We engage thousands of businesses through our programmes driven through a core membership of more than 800 organisations from small enterprises to global corporations.
Business in the Community |

4. Wellbeing Leadership Team
Developed by business leaders with the core purpose of creating happier, healthier and more productive workforces.
Back in 2014, our Leadership Team unanimously put their hands up to take a special focus on mental health within the context of holistic wellbeing.
This is because stress is on the increase – people are working longer and harder than ever before which looks set to continue and because of the urgent need to address the injustice that many employees are suffering in silence, feeling unable to disclose that they have a mental health issue and therefore unable to access timely support.
There is both a compelling business and moral case for addressing the stigma that surrounds mental health.
Prevention is about creating a safe culture where it’s okay to disclose that you’ve got a mental health issue, with the knowledge that you won’t be judged, seen as weak or written off, but supported.
There are BIG injustices surrounding mental ill health.
The deep injustice that people are suffering in silence, unable to disclose that they have a mental health issue due to fear of stigma
The massive inequality about the lack of parity of esteem between mental and physical health.

5. Workwell Model Taking a whole person, whole system approach
Workwell model takes a whole-person, whole-systems approach to wellbeing in the workplace. Mental and physical health are not mutually exclusive and should not be treated as such.
Retention – drives sustainable performance – enables people to perform at their best
Developed by business for business, and based on robust evidence, the Workwell model provides a strategic framework for embedding wellbeing into organisational culture, The model highlights the need for employees to take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing through the five ways to wellbeing, developed by the New Economics Foundation.
We advocate taking a preventative and proactive approach to wellbeing. Creating the conditions for the whole person to flourish
The model demonstrates the benefits of action and provides practical support to help businesses develop a bespoke wellbeing strategy.
Employer actions are covered within five segments within the inner part of the wheel

6. Physical & mental health inextricably linked
Business in the Community and Public Health England have co produced, in partnership with third sector experts, ARMA and Samaritans, a suite of interconnecting toolkits focusing on mental and musculoskeletal health – the two leading causes of lost days at work.
The online, interconnecting suite of 4 toolkits, takes a whole person, whole systems approach, consolidates best evidence and employers practice, aligned with freely available resources, easy to navigate and designed for ALL employers, wherever you are on your journey.
The suite consolidates best practice, expert comment, case studies, freely available resources and is relevant to all employers, irrespective of your size, sector or stage on your journey.
Our suicide toolkits on prevention and crisis management in the event of a suicide, are supported by Samaritans and take a deep dive into the sharp end of the mental health spectrum.
Together, they give advice on how to evaluate suicide risk, how to recognise signs of risk escalation, and how to respond to a crisis.
Acknowledging that suicide risk can never be eliminated, the toolkits also guide employers through the process of responding to a workplace suicide, not just in the immediate aftermath, but in the following weeks and months when the impact is likely to still be felt.
Throughout the toolkits there is a focus on the role of line managers, who play a crucial role in the implementation of a suicide prevention strategy.
They also stress the importance of leadership, encouraging senior executives to demonstrate their own commitment to good mental health.
But what matters most is fostering an environment in which employees can talk openly about their mental health and wellbeing, just as they do about physical health, without fear of discrimination or abuse.
The toolkits are informed by the lived experience of dozens of organisations, who were willing to share their learnings for the benefit of others.
Many talked openly about the pain and sorrow caused by the sudden deaths of colleagues, and about their determination to do whatever they could to reduce the risk of another suicide.
You have a flyer in your delegate packs with details on how to access these, they give you practical guidance for all employers on how to tacks the two biggest issues facing the workplace.
Freely available
Best practice consolidated into one stop shop
Easy to navigate
Relevant to all employers, wherever you are on the journey
This suite has the objective of retaining people in work and taking a preventative approach to wellbeing. By having plans and strategies in place for MSK and mental health, presenteeism and absenteeism following these issues can be significantly reduced. This will allow employees to work to their best.
Business in the Community ¦

7. Mental health – the scale of the issue
Business in the Community |

8. Almost 1 in 6 people of working age have a diagnosable mental health condition
Mental health is the leading cause of sickness absence in the UK with over 15m days were lost to stress, depression and anxiety in2014
19% long-term sickness absence in England attributed to mental ill health
Mental health costs the UK economy £70bn per year, equivalent to 4.5% of GDP and costs each employer £1,035 per employee, per
year
1 in 3 of people with physical long term conditions also have a mental illness most often depression or anxiety.
Although good work is related to positive mental health, workplace stress remains a major problem.
However, studies suggest that presenteeism from mental ill health alone costs the UK economy £15.1bn per annum, in what is almost
twice the business cost as actual absence from work
Business in the Community ¦

9. Business in the Community ¦ www.bitc.org.uk
Suicide – acute end of the spectrum of mental health
There were nearly 5,000 suicides in England in 2015
That’s more than double the deaths by road accidents
which means someone took their own life every two hours.
It’s a stunning and sad statistic, and one that should make us all pause to reflect, and consider how we can all make a difference to bring this rate down.
Suicide is the biggest cause of death for men under 45 in the UK
And men are nearly three times as likely as women to die as a result by suicide.
But the female suicide rate in England is at its highest since 2005.
And suicide is now the leading cause of death among young people aged from 20 to 34.
75% of people who take their own life have had no contact with health services
Suicide is an issue for all employers.
It’s at the acute end of the mental health spectrum and although rare, it is a risk that every responsible employer needs to prepare for in terms of disaster management, continuity planning, developing protocols for both suicide prevention and postvention.
Embedding mental wellbeing into organisational culture is key.
It’s important to equip people with the skills to embrace mental health in the workplace.
Suicide is often preventable, but prevention requires leadership, commitment and understanding from everyone.
Prevention is about creating a safe culture where it’s okay to disclose that you’ve got a mental health issue, with the knowledge that you won’t be judged, seen as weak or written off, but supported
PwC leadership – contributed to case studies to both toolkits – hosted ground breaking event Let’s talks about suicide – open conversation with over 70 employers
Business in the Community ¦

10. National employee mental wellbeing survey 2016
Our national employee mental wellbeing survey, conducted by YouGov, is the most comprehensive of its kind.
Took a partnership approach with national partners including CIPD, Mind, Institute of Leadership and Management, The Work Foundation, Mental Health First Aid and Mental Health at Work (previously Maudsley Centre for Mental Health)
Nearly 20,000 employees took part.
The findings are powerful and give us real insights and also confirming what we’d already suspected. They demonstrate positive progress, but also a number of worrying disconnects.

11. What we did
A representative survey of over 3,000 full and part-time employees across all industries, size and UK regions.
Supported by over 16,000 responses to an open access survey.
Our focus
Mental health and wellbeing in the workplace
The role of managers
Experiences and actions in response
Culture
Confidence
Training
Our national employee mental wellbeing survey was developed as a result of our campaign journey.
Having made the compelling business and moral case with our report, Mental Health: we’re ready to talk, we then focused on the role of line managers who are crucial in helping to embed mental wellbeing into organisational culture.
The survey looked at employee mental wellbeing through a line manager lens.
Our focus was:
Mental health and wellbeing in the workplace
The role of managers
Experiences and actions in response
Culture
Confidence
Training.
Our mental health at work report presents the findings from a YouGov panel of 3,000 full and part time employees in the UK representative of gender, age, industry sector, region and business size and the report leads on this main YouGov panel. In addition, the report highlights upon data drawn from a parallel public open survey of over 16,000 responses prompted by BITC partners, members, supporting organisations and social media.

12. Mental Health at Work Report 2016
Mental health and the crucial role of line managers continues to be a key focus of our campaign.
2nd cycle of YouGov employee mental health at work through a line manager lens.
Mental Health at Work Report 2017 out beginning Oct 2017
Working with business and national partners to collectively move the dial and improve employee mental health and transform line manager capability
Business in the Community |

13. Overview We all have mental health
Disconnect: the aspiration and the reality
The pervasive culture of silence
The role of line managers
Responding to employees
Spotlights: gender & age
Calls to action & recommendations

14. 1. We all have mental health
77% of employees have experienced symptoms of poor mental health
62% of all employees have experienced these symptoms due to work or where work was a contributing factor, rising to 84% of those who took the public survey
24% of employees, in the last month alone, have experienced symptoms of poor mental health where work was a contributing factor
29% of all employees have been diagnosed with a mental health condition
We all have mental health – and our survey findings indicate that most of us have experienced symptoms of poor mental health at one time in our lives. The scale of mental health problems in the workplace is significant.
It found that 77% of employees have experienced a symptom of poor mental health, either diagnosed or undiagnosed at some point in their lives – not a minority issue.
62% of all employees have experienced these symptoms due to work or where work was a contributing factor, rising to 84% of those who took the public survey
24% of employees, in the last month alone, have experienced symptoms of poor mental health where work was a contributing factor
29% of employees report that they have been diagnosed with a mental health condition.
One in three employees experienced these symptoms in the month prior to taking the survey
11% of all employees are currently experiencing ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ mental health

15. Set the tone: we all have mental health
Recommendations
Sign the Time to Change Employer’s Pledge
Take a whole systems approach through adopting the Business in the Community’s Workwell Model.
Use the Business in the Community and Public Health England Mental Health Toolkit for Employers
Normalise conversations around mental health
Provide employees with basic mental health literacy
Ensure all employees know where to go for guidance
Sign the Time to Change Employer’s Pledge to make a public commitment to tackle the culture of silence that surrounds mental health.
Embed wellbeing into organisational culture by adopting Business in the Community’s Workwell Model2. This helps organisations to take a ‘whole systems’ approach that is aligned to securing strategic objectives.
Use the Business in the Community and Public Health England Mental Health Toolkit for Employers3 that supports all employers to take simple, positive actions to build a culture that champions good mental health.
Send a clear message of parity of esteem between mental and physical health to normalise conversations around mental health
Invest in providing employees with basic mental health literacy so they can spot the signs when they or a colleague may need help.
Ensure all employees know where to go for guidance and are equipped to start a conversation about mental health with colleagues they are concerned about.
Business in the Community |

16. 2. Disconnect: the aspiration and the reality
60% of board members feel their organisation supports mental health at work
51% of employees would feel confident telling their line manager about a mental health problem
80% of line managers believe barriers exist to supporting mental health
Just 22% of line managers have undertaken mental health training
2. Disconnect: the aspiration and the reality
Our study reveals that real progress in mental health and wellbeing in the workplace is being held back by a disconnect between what the organisation believes is taking place across the business and what employees experience.
Senior executives are more likely to feel their organisation supports employees with mental health problems, yet the actual experiences of their more junior colleagues does not match their viewpoint.
Only just over half of employees would feel confident telling their line manager about a mental health problem
An astonishing 80% of line managers say that barriers prevent them offering appropriate support, and just 22% of line managers have taken part in mental health training that would provide the skills to help them do this element of their job effectively.

17. Address the disconnect
Recommendations
Identify the gaps between leadership perception of support and reality of employee experiences through employee feedback
Take part in the free Britain’s Healthiest Workplace
Remove organisational barriers restricting line managers from supporting their employees
Identify issues that are impacting employee mental wellbeing in your workplace and use this to inform your future wellbeing strategy
Acknowledge that a gap may exist in your own business between leadership perception of support for employee mental health, and reality of employees’ experience. Take action to identify the gaps and be clear that you are committed to resolving this.
Gather employee feedback using a range of informal and formal mechanisms to understand where your gaps exist, including annual and pulse surveys, focus groups, and various employee forums. Provide employees with a timeframe for when you will report back with findings and next steps – to reinforce your commitment to change and encourage participation in feedback.
Take part in the free annual Britain’s Healthiest Workplace5, which provides both employer and employee feedback on health and wellbeing.
Identify and remove any specific organisational barriers that restrict line managers from effectively managing and supporting individuals experiencing a mental health issue.
Identify the issues in your workplace that may be impacting on employee mental wellbeing and use this knowledge to inform changes to approach, policy, and organisational design.
Business in the Community |

18. 3. The pervasive culture of silence
Half of all employees would not feel comfortable discussing mental health issues at work
49% would not discuss mental health with their line manager
86% said they would think twice before offering help to a colleague with poor mental health
Less than 4% say they would ask HR for help with a mental health issue, and only 2% have actually done so following their most recent experience
3. The pervasive culture of silence
Half of all employees wouldn’t feel comfortable discussing mental health issues at work.
Mental health came last out of nine equality and social issue topics they felt able to talk about, including sexual orientation, disability and religion.
And less than half wouldn’t discuss mental health with their line manager.
People also feel uncomfortable about helping others.
A staggering 86% said they would think twice before offering help to a colleague with poor mental health
So there’s the issue of where people would turn to for support with less than 4% saying they would ask HR for help with a mental health issue, and only 2% have actually done so following their most recent experience

19. Tackle the culture of silence
Recommendations
Use awareness campaigns to normalise mental health
Appoint volunteer wellbeing champions to be ambassadors who can lead by example
Work with change-makers to equip them with the confidence and knowledge to promote an open culture where mental health can be discussed
Instil an understanding in every employee that everyone has a state of mental health as they do physical health. Use awareness campaigns regularly to communicate this message, such as Time to Talk Day, Mental Health Awareness Week and World Mental Health Day.
• Normalise the conversation around mental health. Appoint volunteer wellbeing champions to be ambassadors, who can lead by example, raise awareness and share information to promote positive messaging about mental health.
• Work with change-makers, including key leaders, HR and other specialists, and wellbeing champions, to equip them with the confidence and knowledge to promote an open climate where discussion of mental health becomes normalised.
Business in the Community |

20. 4. The role of line managers
76% of line managers say that employee wellbeing is their responsibility
63% of line managers often/sometimes put corporate interests ahead of wellbeing of team members
26% said they lacked time for one-to-one contact with employees
32% of managers lack the confidence to recognise symptoms of a mental health issue
4. The role of line managers
Line managers consider that wellbeing is part of their job, and their responsibility which they want to do it well.
Other pressures, like corporate interests, often took precedence over the wellbeing of their team members and over a quarter of them said they lacked time for one-to-one contact.
And nearly a third of managers lack the confidence to recognise symptoms of a mental health issue.
Encouraging employees to discuss mental health is vital, because you cannot manage issues that people are not willing to talk about. Capability, literacy and organisational barriers also prevent managers from giving mental health the priority it requires.

21. The role of line managers
Recommendations
Managers need to be able to maintain their own wellbeing and positively influence others.
Train line managers in first aid training in mental health and improve their mental health literacy
Communicate the support line managers can draw on when supporting colleagues
Encourage line managers to seek support as needed when managing a colleague with a mental health issue
Ensure line managers understand the steps they need to take
Introduce ‘everyday wellbeing’ as a core part of one to ones and personal development conversations
• Ensure managers are supported to manage their own wellbeing, via their own managers and appropriate resources and training.
• Train as many line managers as possible in first aid training in mental health and invest in improving their mental health literacy.
• Regularly communicate to line managers the support they can draw on when supporting colleagues.
• Encourage line managers to seek support as needed, when managing a colleague with mental health concerns, e.g. from HR or other specialists, or their own line managers.
• Ensure line managers understand what steps they can, or need to, take in order to agree reasonable adjustments with someone who is experiencing mental health issues.
• Introduce the concept of ‘everyday wellbeing’ as a core part of all and/or personal development conversations. This will help to normalise conversations around mental wellbeing between staff.
Business in the Community |

22. 5. Responding to employees
More than half (56%) of employees said no action was taken when they last experienced symptoms of poor mental health
Only 7% of employees were offered help with their workload
4% of employees were allowed time to work from home
5% of employees who were experiencing the symptoms of poor mental health were sacked or forced out
5. Responding to employees
There’s also a huge issue with responding to employees with poor mental health.
More than half (56%) of employees said no action was taken when they last experienced symptoms of poor mental health
We asked what happens in work when employees experience symptoms of poor mental health and found that there was an inconsistent response across organisations.
Only 7% of employees were offered help with their workload
4% of employees were allowed time to work from home
5% of employees who were experiencing the symptoms of poor mental health were sacked or forced out

23. Respond to employees Recommendations
Take a preventative approach to creating a workplace that promotes mental wellbeing
Provide employees with a clear wellbeing offering
Treat every case as individual - develop bespoke solutions
Ensure employees have access to appropriate support
Clearly outline the role of HR and specialist support functions
Follow best practice in handling issues concerning performance
Make reasonable adjustments as necessary to keep people in work
• Take a preventative approach to creating a work environment that promotes mental wellbeing, by adopting Business in the Community’s Workwell model2, the HSE Management Standards7 and the NICE Workplace Health Management Standards8.
• Provide employees with a clear wellbeing offering, starting at induction, and reinforced on a regular basis, including resources to support employee resilience and mental wellbeing.
• Include employees in discussions to develop flexible, bespoke solutions to their mental health support needs, i.e. reasonable adjustments and Wellness Action Plans.
• Ensure every employee has access to (and knows where to find) appropriate support to stay well and to help manage mental ill health. Reinforce this information regularly.
• HR and any additional specialist support functions should clearly outline the role they can play in supporting all employees, so that employees feel they have a safe space to discuss mental health.
• Employers should follow best practice in handling any issues concerning performance, including taking account of any short or long-term mental health issues that may impact on performance.
• Make reasonable adjustments to enable people to remain in work when possible and take a phased approach to return to work after a period of ill-health.
Business in the Community |

24. Spotlight: Gender
47% of men feel comfortable talking in the workplace about mental health problems compared to 54% of women
13% of women raised their symptoms of poor mental health with their line manager compared to 9% of men
44% of female managers have been approached by an employee wanting to talk about a mental health problem, compared to 30% of male managers
53% of men feel their line manager is genuinely concerned about their wellbeing, compared to 57% of women
There are significant differences between the way men and women experience mental health at work, and in a management capacity.
Female employees appear more likely to be affected by symptoms of poor mental health and more likely to seek help, although this may partly be a reflection of male colleague’s difficulty in recognising symptoms of mental ill health.
More women have experienced symptoms of poor mental health either because of work or where work was a contributing factor
Female managers are much more likely to be approached by an employee wanting to talk about a mental health problem
Male managers are less likely to signpost their staff for help and information
Female managers report being more engaged with the topic and are motivated to improve their own competencies in managing mental health issues at work.
More women managers want to receive basic training in mental health (56% to 44%). This is a significant concern to employers, because the data shows that there is a greater need for male managers to be better equipped to respond to mental health problems.

25. Spotlight: Age
16% of 18 to 29 year olds as compared to 8% of 50 to 59 year olds describe their current mental health as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’
Comfort with talking about mental health generally rises with age
53% of managers aged want training on how to talk to employees about wellbeing, compared to 34% of those in their 50s
47% of year olds are interested in a Mental Health First Aid course compared to 34% of year olds.
The difference in how age groups experience and talk about mental health at work shows that there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach that can be taken by employers; each conversation must be had individually.
The experiences of younger and older workers with mental health and the workplace vary significantly. Younger workers are more likely to experience symptoms of poor mental health, feel less comfortable discussing mental health with a line manager and are less trusting in their employer’s commitment to mental health and wellbeing.
Despite symptoms of poor mental health being more prevalent among younger groups, older workers are more open about the problems they are experiencing.
Younger managers are more likely than older managers to ask for support and advice in managing an employee’s mental health problem. They are also more likely to sign up for relevant training.
Older employees are also more likely to have approached someone because they were concerned about their mental health – 28% of employees aged have done this as opposed to 17% of those aged
Older managers are more likely to say they feel they were helpful the last time someone had a problem and also are more likely to have approached someone because they were concerned about their mental health.
36% of those aged 18 to 29 think their employer supports people with mental health problems, compared to 41% of those aged over 50.

26. 1 Talk 2 Train 3 Take action Calls to Action
Break the culture of silence that surrounds mental health by taking the Time to Change Employer’s Pledge
2 Train
Invest in basic mental health literacy for all employees and first aid training in mental health to support line manager capability
3 Take action
Close the gap by asking all staff about their experiences in order to identify the disconnects that exist in the organisation between what you have committed to and what your employees are experiencing
Calls to action
An ongoing culture of silence around mental health, perpetuated by a lack of mental health literacy amongst management and employee populations, continues to be a major barrier to significant progress.
We are asking employers to implement three calls to action that will help to tackle these barriers.
Our first two calls to action have been previously advocated by Business in the Community, and our growing body of business case studies confirm these actions remain pertinent and effective.
Talk - break the culture of silence that surrounds mental health by taking the Time to Change Employer’s Pledge
Train - invest in basic mental health literacy for all employees and first aid training in mental health to support line manager capability
Our third call to action is focused on addressing the gap between leadership perception and employee experience. It requires employers to look inwards and identify what their own gap is between awareness and action. What are the barriers, what are the challenges, what is working? Through an ongoing dialogue with employees, organisations can be certain their approach truly benefits individuals and the business as a whole.
Everyone has mental health and physical health, and we all move along a continuum between good and poor mental health throughout our lives. These calls to action alongside our recommendations will support employers to embed an ethos of parity of mental and physical health throughout their organisation.
Take action - close the gap by asking all staff about their experiences in order to identify the disconnects that exist in the organisation between what you have committed to and what your employees are experiencing

27. Case study: Unilever
Unilever UKI has evolved a comprehensive range of Line Manager support tools and resources over the last 3 years.
The online global Line Manager “One Stop Shop” is a keystone of this
Unilever have trained more than 50% of managers within Mental Health First Aid.
MHFA commitment to training 1 in 50 of ALL employees, within the next 12 months
“Take action” includes the evolution of Unilever’s Wellbeing resource tools with a Line Manager
Unilever UKI has evolved a comprehensive range of Line Manager support tools and resources over the last 3 years. The online global Line Manager “One Stop Shop” is a keystone of this. It operates within 7 key areas to help our teams to thrive. We include Operational Excellence, Coaching and Development, Fostering Innovation and Wellbeing – How to thrive, which includes a dedicated e-learning package of Mental Health and our holistic Wellbeing workshop, Thrive.
Hence alongside the e-learning and workshop package, Unilever have trained more than 50% of managers within Mental Health First Aid. Unilever felt that this was an important investment, especially following the BITC 2016 recommendations of Talk, Train, Take action. The success of this in driving the conversation of Mental Health amongst colleagues, has led to Unilever progressing MHFA commitment to training 1 in 50 of ALL employees, within the next 12 months
“Take action” includes the evolution of Unilever’s Wellbeing resource tools with a Line Manager – Thriving through change playbook based upon our 4 pillars of Physical, Purpose, Mental, and Emotional Wellbeing. Unilever constructed a Wellbeing information resource map – for line mangers to facilitate employee support, and a nationwide communication programme upon #1Chat, Unilever’s Wellbeing ambition for which no employee is ever more than 1 conversation away from support. Thus promoting the permission and reducing the stigma of talking about Mental Health
Business in the Community |

28. Case study: PwC
In Autumn 2015, PwC’s Executive Board agreed that there was a moral and commercial imperative to focus greater attention on mental health at work.
In May 2016, PwC launched the Green Light to Talk campaign.
Since 2017, PwC have adopted 3 new work streams:
Increasing support for new joiners
Enhancing occupational health support
Training all employees to feel confident spotting warning signs
In Autumn 2015, PwC’s Executive Board agreed that as a progressive employer there was a moral and commercial imperative for us to focus greater attention on mental health at work. Since then PwC focused on implementing the BiTC priorities of Talk, Train and Take Action. Their Mental Health at Work 2016 report helped to ground our plans and the business case for change in robust research.
In May 2016 we launched our Green Light to Talk campaign, designed to raise awareness of mental health in the workplace, engage our people emotionally through story-telling and educate people to understand that mental ill health, like physical illness, is a commonly occurring and natural part of being human. Green Light to Talk really captured the imagination of our people and during Mental Health Awareness Week in 2016 and 2017, our people wore green ribbons signifying their willingness to have a conversation about mental health and our 23 offices  organised local awareness raising sessions.  
Since January 2017, we’ve been taking action on 3 work streams:
increasing support for our new joiners
enhancing occupational health support, particularly during rehabilitation following time off work
training all of our people to feel confident spotting warning signs, listening without judgement and signposting people to the right professional support
Business in the Community |

29. Case Study: Siemens Rail Automation
To enable cultural change the Mental Health Strategy was developed to address three parameters; promotion, prevention & intervention.
Communicated throughout the organisation by our Senior Executive Members, followed up by Directors and Wellbeing Champions reinforcing the message to their teams.
Signed Time to Change pledge
Focused on certain risk groups e.g. males
Trained employees in MHFA and created a strong network
Participated in Britain’s Healthiest Workplace
To enable cultural change the Mental Health Strategy was developed to address three parameters; promotion, prevention & intervention. This was strongly communicated throughout the organisation by our Senior Executive Members, followed up by Directors and Wellbeing Champions reinforcing the message to their teams.
The Time to Change pledge was signed by Nick Dunne, Director of Technology EHS, Quality & Sustainability, reinforced our commitments to treat mental health the same as physical health.
To address certain risk groups, we created male specific materials and launched awareness events using comedy sessions, while a Secret Storyboard was created to allow people anonymously share their experiences; Furthermore, female & male employees with experience of common, as well as enduring mental health conditions, across the corporate ladder, openly shared their experiences during these events.
To prevent mental ill health and enable early intervention we trained 48 employees as Mental Health First Aiders, creating a strong network of highly trained and aware individuals that any colleague can approach for support, information and signposting to the most appropriate internal resources.
we’ve aligned with the final action of BITC by participating in the Britain’s Healthiest Workplaces survey, as well as launching our internal Engagement Survey so we can notice difference in health trends, following the launch of our Mental Health Strategy
Business in the Community |

30. Louise Aston, Wellbeing Director
Wellbeing.bitc.org.uk
Louise Aston, Wellbeing Director
Business in the Community |