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Are you a 'Mindful Employer'?
Optima Workplace Ltd, alongwith the likes of the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary and Stagecoach, have signed up to the 'Mindful Employer' Charter. When will you?
ARE YOU A ‘MINDFUL EMPLOYER’?
Optima Workplace Ltd has joined a host of other leading companies and organizations in the South West, the likes of Stagecoach Devon and the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary, in signing up to the ‘Charter for Employers who are Positive about Mental Health’.
The Charter is a voluntary agreement seeking to support employers in working within the spirit of its positive approach to mental health and represents one element of an organization called ‘MINDFUL EMPLOYER’.
Optima Workplace Ltd is a local company that specializes in providing workplace counselling and coaching to small and medium sized businesses. “With the professional support of counsellors experienced in working with a wide range of mental health issues, Optima is able to help businesses manage their staff recruitment, absence and retention issues in a positive and cost effective way,” commented Amanda Larcombe, one of Optima’s Directors. “But these challenging areas of staff management aren’t just about providing support, it’s also about raising awareness around mental health issues – stress, anxiety, depression, addiction and so forth – such that these situations can be addressed before the problem forces someone to take time off or worse still, leave the company unnecessarily. Through a combination of workshops and one-to-one coaching it is possible to develop a culture that allows such issues to be talked about easily and without guilt or shame; allowing employees to be able to talk about issues that are adversely affecting them before they reach a critical stage and developing in them the ability to take responsibility for their own unique situations,” continued Amanda, “ The fact of the matter is that negative attitudes to mental health are costing businesses unnecessarily. For instance, using the Chartered Institute for Personnel & Developments calculation regarding the direct costs relating to absence, a legal firm with 50 employees is looking at a bill of around £18,050 per annum. If you move to the tourist industry and hotels, a business with 100 employees is wasting up to £21,500 per year. By working with MINDFUL EMPLOYER we hope to turn this situation around for both employers and employees”.
“We are delighted to be associated with MINDFUL EMPLOYER in such a positive way. It is to their credit that they are making such impressive headway in addressing the issue of mental health in the workplace. We look forward to helping them work with like minded employers in working to the benefit of their employees and ultimately, their businesses,” concluded Sarah Prince, Optima’s other Director.
MINDFUL EMPLOYER is led by local employers and aimed at increasing awareness of mental health in the workplace and supporting businesses in recruiting and retaining staff. Over 30 employers from across Cornwall and Devon have been involved in planning the initiative which gives businesses ongoing practical support, training materials, an online discussion forum, support networks and assistance from other employers.
MINDFUL EMPLOYER is facilitated by WorkWAYS, a service run by Devon Partnership NHS Trust, which provides information, guidance and practical support for people whose mental health affects their ability to find or retain employment, training, education or voluntary work.
For further information on both organizations visit the following websites:
www.mindfulemployer.net
www.optimaworkplace.com
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