Compass Group UK & Ireland launch campaign to raise awareness of mental health in workplace

Compass Group UK & Ireland, the UK’s largest food and support services firm, is marking World Mental Health Day by launching a campaign for its workforce, to raise awareness of mental health in the workplace and to provide colleagues with the support they need.

As part of this campaign, Compass has pledged to support employees, raise awareness and reduce the stigma around mental health within its health and wellbeing agenda. The business has also signed the Time to Change pledge, a growing movement which aims to support and change how people think and act about mental health, making sure that employees who are facing problems feel supported.

Statistics show that approximately one in four people in the UK will experience mental health problems each year. As a people-powered business, Compass is committed to further enhancing an open and inclusive workforce. Through this campaign, Compass has launched a new toolkit which is being rolled out across the business and delivers a set of guidelines to best support and promote positive mental health.

Compass has also introduced a network of 90 wellbeing ambassadors, made up of colleagues at all levels from across the business, who will help raise awareness, reduce the stigma around mental health in the workplace and encourage open conversations.

Chris Garside, Managing Director at Compass Group UK & Ireland, said: “We are extremely proud to have signed the Time to Change pledge and are absolutely committed to raising awareness around mental health and further enhancing a supportive and open working environment through our own campaign.”

“Experiencing mental health problems is something that any one of us can go through at any point and as a business with around 60,000 employees it is essential that we provide the support needed by our colleagues in the workplace. We hope the work we are doing will go a long way in encouraging and promoting positive mental health.”

Jo Loughran, Director of Operations at Time to Change, said: “We know it can be hard to talk about mental health, which is why we’re supporting employers to open up; to talk and to listen. Too many people with mental health problems are made to feel isolated, ashamed and worthless, but with the right support, those of us with mental health problems can recover and have equal opportunities in all areas of life. Everyone’s attitude makes a difference and it’s fantastic to see organisations like Compass Group UK & Ireland taking the lead.

“Many leading employers have found that making a strategic commitment to the mental wellbeing of their workforce not only benefits their staff but also their bottom-line, improving productivity and staff retention. With one in six British workers experiencing mental illness it's time for businesses to make a change and start creating more mentally healthy workplaces."

Chartwells, Compass Group UK & Ireland’s specialist provider of catering to the education sector, recently announced a partnership with YoungMinds, the UK’s leading charity championing the wellbeing and mental health of young people last month. As part of the partnership, Chartwells is calling on its teams in schools, academies, colleges and universities across the UK, to wear something yellow to raise awareness and funds to support the charity’s #HelloYellow campaign for World Mental Health Day.

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Notes to editors:

Time to Change is funded by the Department of Health, Comic Relief and the Big Lottery Fund. Set up to create a positive shift in public attitudes towards mental health problems, Time to Change supports communities, schools and workplaces to open up to mental health problems; to talk and to listen.

For more information contact:

UK Communications Team

Compass Group UK & Ireland

UK.communications@compass-group.co.uk

01895 554 999