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Mental Health Awareness Week 2022

We know that mental health has been one of the biggest causes of death in the construction and highways industries for many years now. In 2020, the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) published a report that showed 26% of respondents had considered taking their own lives in the previous year. The report also showed that high percentages of respondents suffered with issues such as depression, stress, anxiety and fatigue.

Following the pandemic and the far-reaching consequences of multiple lockdowns in the UK, we are also now facing a cost-of-living crisis that is impacting everyone in one way or another.

As an employer, we are required now more than ever to turn our attention to mental health. For MVIS and Bartco UK, mental health has always been of high importance. We have taken a number of steps over the years to safeguard the wellbeing and mental health of our team. Working in an industry that suffers with high suicide rates, it is of vital importance that we stay one step ahead when it comes to mental health.

One of the more recent developments we have introduced was the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), an anonymous advice and support service offered by Peninsula.

Peninsula’s EAP service offers our team a well-rounded approach to good mental health and wellbeing. The EAP helps our team overcome their toughest life challenges and deliver their best every day. It includes 24/7 telephone advice, face-to-face counselling and a suite of online and mobile tools to help staff stay happy and healthy.

According to Peninsula, an EAP can “reduce mental health related absence levels by as much as 45% and improve productivity by as much as 8%.” But more importantly, “it helps protect your staff.”

We also offer staff access to 3 qualified mental health first aiders, 2 female and 1 male. Our mental health first aiders are Rebecca Prince Bartco UK’s Purchasing & Stock Control Supervisor, Jon Larkins, North Delivery Supervisor the UK Group Commercial and Operations Director for both MVIS and Bartco UK, Anne Ashman.

This diverse offering allows our team to pick the mental health first aider they feel most comfortable speaking with, meaning that they are more likely to talk openly and honestly about their concerns.

Anne comments, “The mental health of our team is one of our top priorities. In recent years, mental health has started to become a hot topic for businesses as everyone starts to realise how important it is. Here at MVIS and Bartco UK, we have been working with our staff for a long time now on ways we can best safeguard their well-being and mental health, equipping us with the solid support system we have in place today.”

Anne continues, “But just because we have a good support system in place, it doesn’t mean the job is done. Our focus on mental health remains a priority for us, as we continue to overcome new challenges to mental health that may arise. Mental Health Awareness Week 2022 is the perfect opportunity to lead by example and showcase the measures we have taken for our team.”