MENTAL ²
HEALTH MATTERS
‘We’re a stepping stone to getting help’
While work can play a role in mental health and wellbeing, how much responsibility should employers take on for their staff? Dr Kris Naudts, former
psychiatrist and chief executive of Culture Trip, said: “Work clearly is an important part of your life, you’re there at least eight hours a day, five days a week. “But it’s not all your life and a
lot of things happen before you join your employer and things keep happening around you when you’re in employment. “We have a duty of care,
but we’re not the only ones as employers, we’re part of the mix. And we must avoid making it worse, but we cannot possibly be the only ones to solve it.” Advantage Travel Partnership
chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said, said she accepts the responsibilities she has as an employer, but they can only go so far. “Business plays a vital role
because you’re there for so long each day, but it’s not just the business’s responsibility,” she said. “We’re a stepping stone to recognising and helping.” One unintended
consequence for employers who implement a wellbeing agenda is raising the bar of expectations among its workforce. Derek Jones
at Kuoni said the impact of its initiatives aimed at looking aſter staff are not reflected in regular surveys it carries out.
22 25 JULY 2019 We must avoid
making it worse, but we cannot possibly be the only ones to solve it.
“Te more you do, the more
people take for granted and the more they expect,” he said. “Every year we did the survey,
every year we did more things and every year we’ve got a lower score [for wellbeing].” “Te bar moves up so quickly.”
However, rather than being deterred to do more, “that has spurred us into more action,” he said. Naudts said Culture Trip’s
young workforce has nothing to compare its extensive employee wellbeing programme with. “Tey know nothing else
but Culture Trip, and therefore whatever we do on the positive side is normal,” he said. Michelle Laverick, head of
sales, marketing and membership at HF Holidays, said while in- work initiatives are essential, it is when people are made redundant that they are leſt on their own. Laverick, who is also vice-chair of the Association of Women Travel Executives, said: “One minute they’re in work and they’re invited to all sorts of events then, they’re not. And that’s when they lose their
Dr Kris Naudts, Culture Trip
confidence.”
travelweekly.co.uk
Talking helps to address stigma of mental health
Encouraging employees to share their own experiences is one of the best ways to address stigma associated with mental health. Only half of people diagnosed with a mental health problem disclose it
to their employer, according to the Mental Health Foundation. And only half of those reported a positive experience of doing so. “Storytelling in an authentic way in a safe environment is extremely
important,” said Chris O’Sullivan from the charity. Nicky Lyle of Hotelplan said senior team members had been open about their own experiences. “We think that giving a voice from board level down really helps,” she said. However, in firms where employees are of all ages, there may be a
Storytelling in an authentic way in a safe environment is extremely important
generational difference in who wants to talk. “We are working with 18-year-olds up to 75-year-olds,” said Laverick
of HF Holidays. “A 75-year-old talking about challenges that they’ve got in their life is very different from a generational perspective.” O’Sullivan cautioned that storytelling can sometimes fail to paint the
whole picture. “I sometimes have a concern that only the sanitised versions reach the surface. Balancing stories of those with mental health issues with stories of other challenging aspects of life, such as caring for elderly parents and relationship breakdowns, can help to draw out the authenticity.”
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