Mental health continues to be an overlooked issue in the workplace. Although many employers have put in measures based around education, support and monitoring, many other employers are lagging behind – either offering substandard services or no services at all.
Considering the important aspects of mental health at work for Digital Journal is Alison McClure, UKI HR Leader at Kyndryl.
McClure begins by emphasising why mental health at work is so important: “We are all familiar with the term physical health and what this means. Similarly, we also have mental health, which changes throughout our lives having periods where there is more, or less impact on our day to day living.”
For those in doubt about how to define this, McClure provides: “Summarised, the World Health Organisation provides a great description of wellbeing as being a state where an individual can realise their own potential, can cope with normal stresses of life and can thrive in work and the community. This considers mental wellbeing as well as, physical and social too, all interacting and impacting one on the other as we move through life – equilibrium or balance being the place we want to be.”
Turning to her own experiences, McClure puts forward: “At Kyndryl, we put people at the Heart of Progress, and you might ask – what does this look like? Well, it is in creating and living-out a culture of empathy, empowerment and understanding through clearly expressed values that are defined through The Kyndryl Way.”
As to what this means, McClure defines this as: “Building a successful workforce starts with an inclusive, safe environment, where all feel that they can bring their authentic selves to work, express themselves without facing stigma. Initiatives such as World Mental Health Day provide an opportunity to focus on this area of health and wellbeing, raise awareness and highlight stigma. It doesn’t stop there either, as we can take away the learning and experience into home-life too for a truly holistic approach.”
As a further example of best practice, McClure states: “At Kyndryl we have our “Kyndryl Inclusive Network” (KIN) for Wellbeing, which is a passionate community of Kyndryls from all areas of the business, all walks of life with a wealth of experiences and stories, who are coming together to drive wellbeing as “everybody’s business”. We have our thirty-two “Wellbeing Ambassadors” who have identified themselves as being open to a conversation, will signpost to both the range of Kyndryl provided and external resources, also, raise awareness of initiatives and events that speak to mental, physical and social wellbeing – they are confident and supported in asking – are you OK? “
Furthermore: “Again, this extends beyond the workplace, which is the aim, to have that reach in our wider community too. Appointing these in-house advocates provides employees with the tools to address problems early, build resilience and access the means to recovery across the UK and Ireland. Some of our Wellbeing Ambassadors are Mental Health First Aiders too and we continue to look to ways that we can make the training more accessible and bespoke to our business. All our members make a valued contribution through their skills, experience and feedback, simply by being, which we all value in each other.”
In summing up, McClure provides the following as best advice: “Whatever level of participation in the wellbeing agenda, cultivating this from the inside out, recognising the uniqueness of our own, personal journey is what we are committed to. With this in mind, the resources offered by Kyndryl move with the demand for having information and access 24/7 that is individualised, so Kyndryls can tailor their preferences to their own emotional, physical and financial needs, and use it on a regular basis to reflect on – and spot areas for improvement in – their wellbeing. We continue to grow and change, putting our people at the heart of our business; powering human progress. So good day or bad, we are giving each other a little support with the intention that it will go a long way.”
