With World Mental Health Day less than a month away on Saturday 10 October, we are gearing up—and the excitement is building—for our two major global virtual events happening around this important date. MAD World Summit happens on Friday 8 October and Make a Difference Summit US in association with Mind Share Partners happens on Thursday 15 October.
This is a particularly important year for raising mental health awareness around World Mental Health Day as the COVID-19 health crisis has resulted in increased numbers of people across the globe experiencing mental health problems.
We’ve dedicated this issue to key leaders who are making a difference in their workplaces to improve mental health support for colleagues and to key topics front of mind for employers and employees as we face the ongoing impacts of the pandemic.
With many people still planning to work from home in the autumn months ahead, continuing to stay focused on balance between working and personal lives is critical for maintaining wellbeing. Investors in People’s CEO, Paul Devoy suggests 15 key ways for improving work-life balance and wellbeing in 2020.
Dr Stephanie Fitzgerald, Senior Business Partner at Rolls-Royce, who will be speaking at MAD World Summit on 8 October, shares how working under a senior leadership team that truly cares about staff mental health has helped her really make an impact on employee lives, especially through the health crisis.
Another leader who is making a difference in his organisation is Bhavik Shah, Senior Consultant and Mental Health Lead at the management and technology consultancy, Capco. A speaker for Make a Difference Summit US in association with Mind Share Partners on 15 October, Shah explains how he individually helped kick-off the company’s mental health programme which is now going global.
Lily Hawkins, Head of Brand and Culture with M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, shares how she and a colleague volunteered to spearhead the Together Network at the award-winning UK marketing agency which supports staff to get in touch with their physical and mental health. Lily will be speaking at MAD World Summit on 8 October.
As staff face fears and anxieties of potential redundancies/lay-offs which could lie ahead as the health and economic crises continue, leaders prioritising support is critical. Charlotte Whitehead outlines how leaders can maintain a positive work culture amidst lay-offs and also how to provide emotional support for all staff being impacted.
And finally, Glen Ridgeway introduces a new peer to peer support community for people who are facing redundancy, are unemployed or are transitioning into a new role, called Head Jam.
We hope you find this week’s issue enjoyable and valuable!
Well wishes,
Heather Kelly
Online Editor, Make a Difference News
