To coincide with the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Week on Monday 15th May, the Diversity Project’s Mental Health workstream brought together influential figures in both finance and the wellbeing space to explore the progress being made by firms who have embarked on their journey to deliver better mental health outcomes for their employees. 

Evidence of this progress has been gathered and reviewed in the Diversity Project’s Mental Health Report, released yesterday. 

Hosted by Aviva at the Sustainable Finance Factory on Hoxton Square, the evening featured two consecutive panels of speakers from leading asset managers who demonstrated a clear consensus that wellbeing is, without doubt, an investment. However, the overriding theme of the evening focused on the lived experience of the individual and the inherent value of an organisation’s purposeful commitment to support wellbeing, over and above the proven financial incentives. 

The need for both the hardware of strategic wellbeing initiatives, alongside the software of clear conversations, values and relationship building competencies was another recurring message. As one panel speaker mentioned, “All the most well-intentioned strategies and initiatives in the world will become redundant if an employee is consistently experiencing negative interactions with their line-manager.”

If your organisation is looking to take steps to support and enhance their employees mental wellbeing, the varied panellists of the evening all agreed upon some key take-aways from their rich experience in this arena. Debbie Bullock, Head of DEI & Wellbeing at Aviva, pointed towards the importance of starting, wherever you are and with whatever resources are at your disposal. Liz Cole, Head of HR at Artemis Investment Management, highlighted the pivotal importance of listening to your people. Sonia Jenkins, Global Head of Reward, Wellbeing & Inclusion at Schroders, rounded off the evening with a gentle reminder that a meaningful focus on mental health can, simply put, save lives. 

The Diversity Project’s Mental Health Report is a valuable piece that provides clear, concise and relevant steps by wellbeing can be supported and prioritised in the workplace. For leaders who have not yet devised a strategy by which to approach this pivotal space, the report is an excellent place to start and, as both Alison Unsted, CEO of the City Mental Health Alliance, and Amy Brown, Stewardship Lead at CCLA, agreed, when senior leadership at firms hold themselves accountable for making real progress in their mental health offering, they create positive peer pressure for other firms to follow suit.

It is never too late for an organisation to start a mental health or wellbeing programme and the insights gathered by the Diversity Project across the finance and asset-management space provide a robust and purposeful place to begin.