City groups join forces for new mental health care commitments
City businesses are joining forces with charities today in an effort to promote mental health care in the work place.
Leading business and non-governmental figures have signed up to the Mental Health at Work Commitment, a set of standards for the industry which launched this morning.
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As part of the act, firms will adopt a set of core standards including a routine monitoring of employee mental health and promoting “effective people management through line managers and supervisors”.
John Lewis Partnership, Deloitte and Santander are are all signatories, as well trade bodies such as the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and Institute of Directors (IoD).
Barclays UK chairman Sir Ian Cheshire said: “There are no quick fixes, or simple solutions when it comes to mental health. Yet there’s no ignoring the fact that work is often a contributory factor for people whose mental health is suffering.”
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A recent YouGov survey found that only one in two (51 per cent) of respondents said they feel comfortable talking about mental health in the workplace, and two in five (39 per cent) say they have experienced a work-related mental health issue in the last year.
CBI Director-General Dame Carolyn Fairbairn added: “Many firms are taking practical steps to help their people thrive and support their emotional wellbeing. But more must be done urgently and firms are rising to the challenge.”