Fifteen employees at chartered builder Greendale Construction have attended a mental health awareness course, in line with the company’s commitment to raising awareness of mental health in an industry where workers are three times more likely to commit suicide than the average UK male.
Five staff at the company, based at Poole in Dorset, also completed a mental health first aid course.
Greendale has also introduced the “midday mile”, where staff are encouraged to join together for a daily walk (pictured above) in a bid to promote good health and mental wellbeing.
Maria Seabright, the firm’s HR and finance director, emphasises that employers have a duty of care to ensure the wellbeing of their staff.
“We all have mental health just as we have physical health, and both have their ups and downs. At Greendale we want to embrace an environment where our managers understand their roles and responsibilities when it comes to dealing with mental wellbeing,” she explains.
“As an organisation, we want to promote positive mental wellbeing. The ‘midday mile’ promotes good health and mental wellbeing, giving staff a break away from their desks, a bit of fresh air, and socialising with colleagues.
“This is an initiative that we learned from Ouch Training Team, after staff recently attended a mental health awareness course – something we would highly recommend.”
