Bostik has launched a new initiative that will expand the mental health support available to all employees across the business.
The company has been continually reviewing its provisions for supporting employees’ mental, physical and financial health, with the aim of providing a range of services that will benefit the wellbeing of everyone within Bostik.
The goal of the new mental health initiative is to recruit, train and support a team of Mental Health First Aiders who will be able to offer help to fellow employees. The team will represent the diversity of Bostik’s workforce, being drawn from various seniority levels, different gender and ethnic backgrounds, while also aiming to cover all Bostik sites and functions.
Bostik previously introduced the employee wellbeing assistance programme Help@Hand. More recently, an area of the intranet has been developed to direct colleagues to content covering a range of topics, which supports all aspects of employee wellbeing.
“After consultations, we realised we could do more to foster positive mental health for our colleagues, so we’re delighted to be introducing this network of trained Mental Health First Aiders,” said Andrew Bason, Bostik’s HR Director.
“We have all found some degree of personal challenge in managing our lives and work in the midst of a global pandemic, so this is an appropriate time to expand Bostik’s wellbeing services. Everyone should be able to come to work feeling safe, healthy and supported each day. The launch of this important initiative is just the beginning.”
Following the recruitment and training process, the new Mental Health First Aiders will be able to understand factors affecting mental ill health, identify the signs and symptoms of a range of a mental health conditions, and offer supportive conversations to fellow colleagues. Their training will also enable them to provide mental health first aid to someone experiencing an issue or crisis, and signpost people towards professional help.
Anthony Rainford, Bostik’s Export Business Development Manager for Consumer & Construction and Thermal Construction, is supporting the rollout of the Mental Health First Aiders network and commented, “This is a fantastic initiative we are running and I am proud and excited to be part of it. The great news is that we now have our first batch of 15 First Aiders trained up, ready to help anyone who thinks they may benefit from some support.”
“Communication is the key message for us. No one should ever feel alone, so we want our colleagues to please keep talking, whether it’s to friends, family, work colleagues or one of our trained Mental Health First Aiders. We are committed to supporting everyone for the long term.”
