9 May

Senior leaders mark Mental Health Awareness Week

To celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week from 12-18 May, senior leaders from across the city came together to answer - How do we effectively support mental health in the workplace?

From creating psychological safety, to the importance of representation and signallers like the green ribbon, they share their insights below.

Carl Sizer, PwC Management Board, Chief Markets Officer

Being part of This is Me at its inception inspired PwC to launch our own internal ‘Green Light to Talk’ campaign and we have been sharing stories ever since. The more we normalise the topic of mental health, the more we can support each other.

This benefits the workplace as well as the individual, as we can all be less guarded at work. I was proud to share my own story as I know this helps to validate what others are experiencing.

Alison Unsted, Chief Executive at MindForward Alliance

Our recent MindForward Alliance Global Insights research showed that it is crucial for organisations to demonstrate commitment to action from senior leadership to drive sustainable change and influence a healthy business culture.

A big part of leading this change is by encouraging an open dialogue. This can start with leaders being more open about how they are feeling and how they look after their own wellbeing.

This signals that a business has an open and inclusive culture and cares about the mental health and wellbeing of their colleagues.

Helen Oldfield, General Counsel BNY EMEA, and EMEA Executive Sponsor for HEART, BNY’s Diverse Abilities Network

At BNY, our diverse-abilities resource group, HEART, is open to all employees globally and is a community committed to advocating for positive mental health conversations in the workplace. Sharing stories in a safe environment is a core part of how we thrive together and power our culture.

Sonya Branch, General Counsel, Bank of England

We encourage colleagues to feel empowered to talk about their mental health, free from stigma, knowing they will be supported. The smallest of actions can make a huge difference, and peace of mind starts with knowing you are not alone.

As the Executive Sponsor of the Bank’s Mental Health Network, one of the largest employee networks, I am an advocate for creating an environment where we can have honest and constructive conversations on mental health.

That is why we are launching line management training on mental health to equip our people managers with the knowledge and skills they need to support their teams.

Nick Jeffery, Managing Director, Real Estate Practice, Aon UK & Executive Sponsor of the Aon UK Mental Health Group

At Aon UK we actively promote & support Business Resource Groups (BRG’s).  These are voluntary, colleague-led groups typically organized around a particular dimension of diversity or shared background.? 

BRG’s create opportunities for colleagues to connect, learn and celebrate as part of a diverse, inclusive workplace.

Join the This is Me movement here