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about mental health, organise and raise awareness of wellbeing activities, promote emotional wellness and signpost colleagues to services that can give them the help they need. We’re determined to make sure everyone has someone to reach out to whenever they need it. Our Wellbeing Champions programme is one aspect of a wider Mental Health at Work Commitment we’re undertaking to make a difference and create an environment where all our employees can thrive. It’s something we know our colleagues care deeply about and is very close to home for us. We recently lost a highly valued team member and friend who struggled with mental health. We hope and believe that the steps we’re taking can help to make sure that this incredibly sad occurrence never happens again.
Supporting each other
Many people in the heating industry work alone, with little financial security and few support systems
The heating industry health crisis we can’t afford to ignore
Vicki Savage, human resources manager at Viessmann UK, explores the importance of mental health support in the heating sector
T
he phrase ‘mental health crisis’ has become worryingly familiar in recent times. The latest NHS statistics for England show over
one million people are now in contact with adult mental health services each month, indicating a dire situation that the British Medical Association warns is ‘spiralling out of control’. Nowhere is this more true than in the heating industry, where large numbers of people work alone with little financial security and few support systems. A 2021 survey showed that around half of plumbers and electricians experienced mental health problems due to work-related stress. However, in 2022 the figure had risen to 81%, showing beyond doubt that these issues can impact anyone at any time.
Talking is key
Worryingly, 85% of survey respondents also reported they don’t feel comfortable about talking about their difficulties. In fact, sharing feelings and worries with a trusted person can be a very positive first step to begin to address the problem. But discussing mental health at work can be daunting: people may worry about how their colleagues
22 May 2023
Top left: Wellbeing Champion,
Viessmann service manager Simon Ellis
Bottom left: Vicki Savage, UK HR Manager at Viessmann
Suellan Fowler is Viessman’s assistant financial controller and has been with the company for 25 years. She became a Wellbeing Champion after experiencing two personal losses just before the first COVID lockdown. “I was at home with no one to talk to,” she recalls. “If it wasn’t for my fiancé, I’d have been in a very dark place. It’s important for people to know that Wellbeing Champions can relate to what they’re going through. If you’ve experienced it yourself and come out the other end, you understand how desperate and scared people feel, and how alone, too.” Fellow Wellbeing Champion, Viessmann’s service manager for the North of England and Scotland, Simon Ellis, signed up to the scheme to ensure he could give the best support to his team. “I manage 10 field engineers who are working in customers’ houses on a daily basis. Their mental health is very important to me. I was self-employed before I started at Viessmann 11 years ago and suffered myself with the effect that has on you. I’ve also experienced mental health challenges on a first- hand basis with my own family. Doing the Wellbeing Champions training has given me the confidence to handle things correctly when people come to me for help.”
will react, or how they’ll be treated. It’s therefore essential to normalise these types of conversations and make them as easy as possible. At Viessmann, we’re tackling this head on by giving individuals across our business the skills, support and resources to get people talking about their mental health. Known as Wellbeing Champions, these volunteers receive training to help them challenge false or damaging stereotypes
Looking after employees’ wellbeing makes sound business sense, too. It’s estimated that for every £1 spent on mental health awareness, a £5.30 return on investment is generated through increased productivity and improved staff retention. But the most significant benefits are the human ones. Suellan says: “Mental wellbeing is so important. If we’re not looking after our mental health first aid, what starts as a psychological issue, can quickly become a physical one. We have to address it, even though it’s not visible, because it’s just as detrimental to our health, and just as dangerous if not taken seriously. You’ve got to look after those around you.”
Viessmann’s Mental Health At Work Commitment
is a collaboration with the Midlands Engine Mental Health & Productivity Pilot and the charity Mind. More information and resources to support mental wellbeing in the workplace are available via Mind’s online gateway, Mental Health at Work.
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