Marvin OnumonuWest Midlands Mayor Richard Parker has called on more businesses to join the ‘Thrive at Work’ scheme, which supports employee health and wellbeing.
The call came during Mental Health Awareness Week, focused this year on building strong communities.
Around 650 employers in the region have signed up to the scheme, covering about 300,000 workers.
The scheme is led by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and gives organisations resources like a free online toolkit, support, and webinars.
Businesses can work towards the Thrive at Work award at foundation, bronze, silver or gold level.
Parker said: “I’ve always believed that a healthier workforce is a stronger workforce.
“When people feel well and supported, they thrive – and so do the businesses they work for. That’s why I’m encouraging more local employers to sign up for Thrive at Work.
“It’s a simple but powerful way to show your staff you care, make meaningful changes – and to help your business grow.”
Parker added: “If we want to build a region that’s fairer, healthier and more productive, this is exactly the kind of practical action that will get us there.”
Debbie Willets, account manager and Thrive at Work lead at Howells Glazing Ltd, said: “Our old policies were not fit for purpose when it came to the mental health of our staff.
“We didn’t really have procedures in place to deal with the issues that came up, and staff did not feel confident in raising their concerns.
“When we started Thrive at Work, the free seminars we attended as part of the programme showed us that we needed to take a more holistic approach to our employees’ wellbeing.”
Willets added: “So, we started by asking staff to complete an anonymous health survey to assess employees’ mental health across the company.
“The results of this led to comprehensive changes in the firm’s policies on mental health.
“Now, our staff are far more likely to raise issues earlier and our mental health first aiders are there to check in on our staff on a regular basis.
“Because of the new openness to talk at Howells, we have organised successful open days, school visits and ‘days in industry’ that we hadn’t thought about doing previously.
“It never would have happened without Thrive at Work.”
She said: “While you need to put the time and effort in to get the accreditation, the results have definitely been worth it.”
