Recognizing and supporting our colleagues on World Mental Health Day and beyond

Worldwide, nearly 1 billion people have a mental disorder, 3 million people die every year from alcohol abuse, and one person dies every 40 seconds by suicide, according to the World Health Organization, United for Global Mental Health, and the World Federation for Mental Health. In addition, PwC’s recent CHRO Survey identified employee anxiety and burnout as their top challenge.

10 October is World Mental Health Day, and with so many challenges in the world at this time, I want to take a moment to acknowledge these and talk about how we're supporting our colleagues. No matter where we physically work from in the world right now, all of us have unique challenges in adapting to the “new normal.”

Our people are at the heart of our business and due to the global mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and call for accelerated racial and gender equality across the world, we’re taking extra steps to make them feel supported. Since the pandemic began, many people have been forced to work from home, compounding the challenges of dealing with home life and family on top of continuing to thrive at work. 

At PwC, we’re committed to supporting our people’s mental health and wellbeing and ending mental health stigma, by raising awareness about mental health issues and encouraging our people to talk openly with their colleagues. These particular challenges bring an opportunity to create a new, and better normal. Many PwC firms have implemented mental health strategies to help our people make their mental health needs a priority and we have just released our Mental Health Strategy Toolkit which includes a mental health first aid training that many of our firms are implementing. 

Along with other businesses, we're seeing stress as a major concern due to the demanding work culture that we've found ourselves in among the pandemic. For many of us, work and home are the same location and although convenient, this arrangement of being continuously connected to work obligations can cause a strain on separating work from personal life, leading to burnout. While people are passionate about their work, they’re also exhausted. It's evident that this type of stress is affecting our mental health and we're implementing strategies to combat the tension and keep our people motivated. You can find out more about these strategies in our series on how your organization can create competitive advantage through a more engaging people experience, available here. 

Long before the pandemic, there were wellbeing initiatives across PwC including our ‘Green Light to Talk’ campaign in the UK and Australia, which encourages our people to wear a green ribbon indicating that they are advocates of having safe conversations about mental health. Without question, the pandemic has threatened people’s mental wellbeing. Mental health impacts our overall health, business and our communities in a number of ways. It’s great to see how our network of firms has responded to the important challenge of mental health with imaginative initiatives and approaches.  

When I see the innovative ways my colleagues have found to stay connected and support each other in these difficult times, I am really encouraged that our messages of taking care of your mental health are getting through. What we’ve learned is that mental health is a constant journey and one that we must always prioritize. Personally, I make an effort to keep a steady workout schedule and commit time to connecting with my family and friends. During this time of social distancing, I've been finding ways to check in on family and friends through zoom calls, texts, and other quick ways to reach out, while providing them with some light humor and small gifts to brighten their day. I've found that a quick message or a thoughtful card can go a long way. 

No matter who you are, the world is a challenging place right now. Organizations can use this opportunity to create a mentally healthy workplace and give their people the support that they deserve.