It’s mental health awareness week! And here at Geo Green Power we believe that the workplace should offer a safe and caring environment for any employee struggling with their wellbeing. 1 in almost 7 people experience mental health problems in their place of work, and it’s important for us to have programmes in place to ensure our team have access to the right resources and receive consistent support.
Introducing our Mental Health First Aiders
This week, we’re formally introducing our Mental Health first aiders, Siobhan and Dan, and thanking them for the care they will provide to our team. After completing a two-day Mental Health training course and obtaining a FAQ Level 3 Mental Health first aid qualification, Siobhan and Dan are the first points of contact for anyone seeking support and wishing to speak in confidence. Their role is to provide a sympathetic and non-judgmental ear to any employee who desires to offload or seek advice and comfort.
Siobhan, who feels that the new role will benefit the company by offering a broader support system explained: “Our team are important to us, and we want to ensure we support in any way possible whilst raising awareness, reducing the stigma, ignorance and misunderstanding of mental health illnesses and encourage our employees to seek early intervention to aid recovery.”
Our other first aider Dan agreed and spoke candidly about the increased stigma surrounding asking for help in the predominantly male occupation of Construction. In 2020, UK Construction workers were at some of the highest risk of suicide in the country, at 3.7 times higher than the national average. Dan feels that the dual mental health first aid stations will help to accommodate our on-site employees, as this will provide accessibility and discreetness for individuals who may not feel comfortable leaving their outdoor work area to seek help in the office.
Part of Team Geo Green
As we’ve grown, it’s been important for us to remain one team. Throughout the year we organise a series of get togethers, some more formal than others, to share information, celebrate success and ensure that our team have time to build relationships across the business.
From team building days to our summer parties, these fun activities are in place to reduce burnout, boost morale and stimulate communication outside of the office and site environments. Statistics show that 79% of employees look forward to building connections with their colleagues in person through these types of company events the most. And we’re delighted that 95% of our team think that Geo Green Power is a great place to work.
Additional wellbeing support
All our employees are invited to join our Bupa Healthcare scheme, which includes full Mental Health provision as part of our package. And our work with Peninsula provides an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) so employees can access advice and support with work-related and personal issues 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
These programmes are in place to increase the wellbeing of our team and reduce absences – which promotes a happier work environment.
Although one of Geo Green Power’s goals is to reduce the mental health stigma, we are aware that some individuals may feel unsettled openly discussing these issues. To offer more notification but also privacy, we promote the support we offer in our toilet cubicles and regularly through our internal comms channels.
We hope to expand on the support we deliver and continually emphasise that it is okay to not be okay.
