PageGroup, global recruitment specialists, announced that it is the first recruitment company to sign a pledge with Time to Change, an initiative led by charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness. The company joins a growing number of employers committed to ending the stigma and discrimination against people with experience of mental health problems. Ahead of World Mental Health Day (WMHD) on 10th October, PageGroup’s Diversity & Inclusion team, referred to internally as ‘OpenPage’, is expressing support by profiling a range of employees speaking out about their personal experiences in relation to mental health, via impactful internal communications campaigns. Since PageGroup’s Ability@Page launch in July, an internal network that supports employees who are affected by disability, they have seen an increase in awareness of the company’s Employee Assistant Programme – which offers 24/7 confidential advice. Signing up to the Time to Change pledge is a natural next step for the company.Sheri Hughes, Associate Director for OpenPage, commented: “We are so pleased to be the first recruitment company to sign the Time to Change pledge. At PageGroup we are committed to creating a workplace culture where people can confidently talk about their issues. We strive to put our employees’ health and wellbeing first and are proud to be acting as a benchmark for other companies in our industry.”PageGroup joins the wide movement of over 450 organisations that have signed up to the Time to Change pledge, including E.ON, British Gas, Ernst & Young, Transport for London, Royal Mail, Barclays, Shell, Pepsico, the Church of England, Sunday Mirror, Marks and Spencer, and many NHS trusts, universities, and local authorities.Jo Loughran, Interim Director of Time to Change, said: “It is fantastic that more and more employers are showing their support in tackling the stigma experienced by people with mental health problems. Employers and their staff can all play a part in helping to stamp out stigma and companies like PageGroup are taking a lead.“Many leading employers have found that making a strategic commitment to the mental wellbeing of their workforce not only has benefits for their staff but also benefits their bottom-line, improving productivity and staff retention. With one in six British workers experiencing mental illness it's time for businesses to work on their approach and start creating more mentally healthy workplaces."PageGroup performed the signing ceremony, which took place in one of the companies’ London offices on Wednesday 5th October 2016. The OpenPage team pledged their support to 'Time to Change’ with an action plan of activity that will help to break the silence that surrounds mental health in the workplace.
