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It’s men’s health week and the ideal opportunity to start the conversation about supporting men’s health in the workplace. Designed to give all boys and men access to the information, services and treatment to live a healthy life, the week shines the spotlight on crucial health issues men face.
Over the last two years, the theme has focused on the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on physical and mental wellbeing. However, this year the theme is ‘Time for your MOT’, emphasising the importance of noticing what is going on with your body and mind. It’s time to take notice of any health problems or symptoms that may have been brushed aside due to the pandemic.
Facts
- In the UK, 1 in 8 men has a common mental health problem such as depression, anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- 3 times as many men as women die of suicide, and it is the leading cause of death of men under the age of 50
- 40% of men won’t discuss their mental health with friends or family.
Things your business can do to offer support:
- Encourage regular GP check-ups: Seeing your GP regularly can help identify and treat health issues in their early stages. So, ensure that you make it easy for employees to attend appointments (we all know how tricky getting the appointment in the first place can be!).
- Go for a daily walk: Cardio exercise and fresh air – it’s a winning combo – plus it positively affects mental health. Make sure you are encouraging your teams to get those steps in, whether escaping the desk at lunch or switching some meetings to walking ones.
- Help people quit smoking: Smoking has a negative impact on nearly every organ of the body and can lead to severe health issues including heart disease, strokes and many forms of cancer. Having a wellbeing platform in place that helps your employees with smoking cessation will help those who want to take the leap to a life that’s nicotine-free!
- Start the conversation: Open up a dialogue; you may have trained mental health advisors or men’s health champions who can provide employees with trusted sources of information, and highlight available support, for instance, Employee Assistance Programmes.
- Take time to review your policies: It’s a great time to take a look at existing Equality and Diversity policies to ensure they make adequate provision for men’s health and update where appropriate.
At Virgin Pulse, we offer ways to support all your employees to build healthy habits daily. We’re committed to changing lives for good, so speak to one of our experts today to find out how we can help your business show up for your employees.