Kate Griffiths-Lambeth: Tackling health and wellbeing in the City

I have worked in and around the City of London for over a decade and, in that time, I have seen and supported a number of people troubled with their mental health and wellbeing. Until recently, it has been tough helping boards and senior leaders to understand and to take the subject of mental health and wellbeing in the workplace seriously.

Recent statistics show that nearly 12 million days of work are lost each year due to stress, depression or anxiety (nearly 40% of all days lost through sickness). In June the mental health charity MIND published research showing nearly 1:2 employees in the public sector and 1:3 in the private sector have had time off for mental illness, yet we know that both physically and mentally fit, well-motivated employees can have a positive impact on productivity and effectiveness of a business.

Proactive and preventative

As group HRD for a leading wealth manager, where daily demands are fast-paced and challenging, I have taken steps to encourage a proactive, preventative approach to supporting wellbeing by introducing a number of employee supported initiatives including yoga and mindfulness and, at our recent Wellness Event, we offered a range of health-orientated activities and information.

These included partnering with our private medical provider, Canada Life, to present details on benefits such as life assurance and private health Insurance schemes. We had presentations by other providers, including BUPA and Fitness First.  Our yoga teacher, a nutritionist (linked to our in-house caterers) and a doctor and nurse were available to offer advice, guidance and support, with free blood pressure checks, taste trials and salt tolerance tests available for all. We also offered advice in support of financial well-being, including will-writing and financial planning.

The role of line managers

Furthermore, we are upskilling our managers to support their confidence in identifying possible symptoms, and to be more aware when presented with health concerns of their employees. We offer an assistance programme which provides information, resources and options to address a wide range of issues both at home and at work for employees and their families.

In addition, our early intervention service offers support, once a possible longer-term absence is identified. In one case, the trained doctors and nurses assisted an employee both with coping strategies and signposting to further medical interventions which will, alongside GP support, enable our employee to manage their illness and facilitate a return to work earlier than expected.

I was delighted that our business supported this year’s Lord Mayor’s Appeal “This is Me – in the City” aimed at ending the stigma of mental health. The appeal encourages City people to talk openly and honestly about stress, anxiety and other mental health concerns. Various supporters of “This is Me”, have proven the impact of truly embedding such initiatives as part of their culture.

The results

What does this all mean? We have happier, well-supported employees – the responses in the latest annual engagement survey, which has risen by 11%, demonstrate this. There is a resultant impact on business performance and financial results.

People feel able to speak out and we are proud to be doing our bit to end the stigma of mental health; it is okay not to be okay. It is also okay, in fact it is more than okay, to celebrate successes – as a business we have achieved so much in the past year and for the main part this positive change has been employee-lead.

Authenticity in leadership, and positive interactions, from the top downwards, have been the key drivers for our growth and success.

This article is written by Kate Griffiths-Lambeth, group director of HR at Charles Stanley