Why we need need to talk about mental health

One in four people are suffering from some sort of mental health issue. Last year more than 12.5m working days were lost to stress, depression and anxiety. Collectively, those lost days of work cost businesses some £16bn.

All this week at EG we are supporting mental health awareness week. Mental health, as the stats show affects pretty much all of us. We will either be that 1 in 4 that is suffering personally, we will have a family member or other loved one who is suffering or we may be working with someone who is suffering.

This EG Property Podcast features two interviews talking about what firms are doing to support employees and how wellness should be a vital element of any businesses responsibility to staff.

The first interview is part of a longer interview with Bidwells managing director Catherine Spitzer – look out for that on the EG Property Podcast channel soon. A keen adventurer and savvy businesswoman, Catherine knows all about the importance of being able to slow down, to find space and to switch off from the constant barrage of information.

In our second interview, we meet Melanie Olrik, head of HR at Malcolm Hollis who shares what it is doing to create a more open atmosphere  and some top tips about how you can set up a successful mental health initiative and why it is always good to talk.