Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
Builders merchant group Travis Perkins plc is on track to deliver on its commitment to ensure there are six times more mental health first aiders (MHFAs) in the business this summer than there were at the start of the year.
The safety and wellbeing of colleagues is the Group’s number one priority, and this drive to increase the number of accredited MHFAs from 40 to over 250 has been accelerated to proactively manage colleagues’ wellbeing in the workplace.
This initiative complements a whole raft of other support for colleagues, which includes an employee assistance programme for counselling and emotional support as well as a mental wellbeing app and assessment tool, activity and mindfulness resources and discounts on gym memberships, exercise equipment, online fitness and other financial offers to help balance the physical, financial and mental aspect of wellbeing.
“During COVID, our mental health and wellbeing have been put to the test like never before, but as an industry leader with a proud history of upholding family values, our strong people focus has served us well. It has underpinned our pandemic response and helped us work collectively to resolve the many challenges this past year has posed for our 20,000+ colleagues in balancing their home and work lives,” says Group HSE & Fleet Director for Travis Perkins plc, Richard Byrne.
“Our MHFAs play a key role as ambassadors across all areas of wellbeing; to be the first port of call in the workplace for mental health support for colleagues, raise awareness and encourage positive behaviours amongst our workforce on a voluntary basis, and to identify signs of poor mental health and help individuals access professional support if they need it. But we are very clear that they are not there to diagnose or provide ongoing support or counselling” Richard concluded.
