Orient - The Official Magazine of the British Chamber of Commerce Singapore - Issue 67 July 2018 - Page 62 EXPERT OPINION FROM OUR BUSINESS GROUPS Let's Discuss... Mental Health at Work
Contributed by the Diversity & Inclusion Committee According to a report by the Mental Health Foundation in 2016, the value added to the UK economy by people who are at work and have/have previously had mental health problems is as high as £225 billion per year, which represents 12.1% of the UK’s total GDP. There is strong evidence that workplaces with high levels of mental wellbeing are more productive. Addressing wellbeing at work increases productivity by as much as 12% (Oswald, A.J., Proto, E., & Sgroi, D. (2015) “Happiness and Productivity”, Journal of Labor Economics).
For the purposes of simplicity, mental health describes the way we think, feel, and our ability to react to and process life’s ups and downs. In good mental health, we can act with purpose, direction, energy and resilience. However, mental health issues, which cover a full spectrum of symptoms such as depression, stress, fear, anxiety, medical conditions and trauma, can affect anyone at any stage in their life or career. It can be triggered by a multitude of underlying reasons and should not be underestimated or ignored by management.
As part of the Chamber’s ongoing recognition of the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, we have been addressing these issues in a variety of ways - trough content such as our publications: “The Pillars of Diversity” and “Getting Started in D&I”; events such as “Raising Awareness of Mental Health Issues in the Workplace”, held in October 2017; asking the wider public to consider the topic through initiatives such as our Celebrating Diversity Photography Competition, and by sharing the continued efforts of our member companies, relevant associations and Government.
Here are some examples of the latest initiatives from our corporate members, represented by individuals in our Diversity and Inclusion Committee:
Anil Scott, Associate Partner, St. James's Place Wealth Management
During National Mental Health awareness week in the UK from 14th – 20th May 2018, St James’s Place engaged with all of its location offices in an effort to make
the St James’s Place community aware of the benefits already available in our organisation for those who may need support. Activities throughout the week included talks from mental health charities and encouragement for various initiatives to promote ‘clear minds’. Feedback within St James’s Place has been very positive and we are actively looking to role a number of initiatives out in Asia.
St James’s Place was proud to be the main sponsor for former UK Special Forces soldier Dean Stott’s gruelling cycle ride across North and South America which commenced on 1st February this year. Dean pedalled over 13,400 miles, climbed 166,000 metres, burned 900,000 calories and smashed a Guinness World record raising money for Heads Together, a St James’s Place Charitable Foundation partner, and mental health initiative spearheaded by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. The charity aims to tackle the stigma associated with mental health and change the conversation on it through fundraising for a series of innovative new mental health services.