Acuity signs mental health at work commitment to improve and support the mental healh of their employees

Acuity has signed the Mental Health at Work Commitment, demonstrating our ambition to reinforce a workplace environment and culture where all employees can thrive.

By signing the Mental Health at Work Commitment, Acuity has committed to achieving better mental health outcomes and a genuine longer-term positive impact on staff’s wellbeing, joining a growing movement of over 1000 organisations including: Avon Cosmetics, B&Q, Barclays Bank, BT, Bupa UK, Deloitte UK, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Historic England, Marks and Spencer, Pets at Home, Santander UK, Save the Children UK and many more. Developed with the knowledge and expertise of mental health charities, leading employers and trade organisations, the Mental Health at Work Commitment provides a simple framework for employers who recognise the importance of promoting staff wellbeing. This framework sets out six clear standards based on what best practice has shown is needed to make a difference and better equip employers to create an environment where employees can thrive.

Andrew Brown, MD of Acuity said: “Signing up to the Mental Health at Work Commitment demonstrates our continued desire to support our employees, further opening up the conversation around mental health.  We recognise the varied lives our employees lead and that one is often unaware of the struggles individuals may be experiencing. Through implementation of our Mental Health at Work Action Plan we hope to encourage more people to share their experiences and also to ensure we are doing everything within our power to support our employees.”  

Andrew Berrie, Mental Health at Work National Lead said: “We’re delighted to see Acuity sign the Mental Health at Work Commitment. By embedding our six standards in the way they operate, Acuity are demonstrating a real commitment to supporting the mental health of those in their workplace. We know it can be hard to talk about mental health and seek support, which is why public commitments such as this one are so important. With issues like stress, anxiety and depression common across all employers, regardless of size or sector, we want to see every employer recognise and address any work-related causes of poor mental health among their staff and it’s fantastic to see organisations like Acuity taking the lead.”

In a survey of UK adults conducted by Business in the Community in partnership with Bupa in 2020, only one in two (51%) of employees say they feel comfortable talking about mental health in the workplace, whilst two in five (39%) report they have experienced a work-related mental health issue in the last year.

The cost of poor mental health to UK employers has been estimated to be between £42 billion and £45 billion, according to the Mental Health and Employers Report published in 2020 by Deloitte and investment in workplace support and interventions remains a key issue.

Andrew Berrie, Mental Health at Work National Lead added: “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."

For more information contact – Sarah Thomas, sarah.thomas@acuitynet.co.uk

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