A Midlands digital marketing agency is getting its workers to step away from their desks on World Mental Health Day to take a course in learning how to spot the signs of poor wellbeing – and how to seek help.
All 33 workers at JDR Group, based on Pride Park, Derby, will be watching a presentation on mental health awareness in the workplace tomorrow to ensure they can identify the danger signs, both in themselves and others.
The day of action was organised to coincide with World Mental Health Day as part of JDR Group’s ongoing commitment to ensuring its staff are healthy, happy and productive.
The company already has a well-established mental health programme, including regular staff wellbeing surveys, a weekly team meeting where positive contributions are recognised and regular team-building events, including cake sales, dress-down days and team-bonding activities.
Everyone also has access to a wellbeing portal which offers medical and mental health advice, and discounts at multiple retailers, cafes and restaurants.
The training day follows findings from a survey conducted by the advertising and media industry charity NABS, which found 64% of respondents had thought about quitting their job in the past year because their wellbeing was being affected by their work, 36% said their mental health had been poor or extremely poor in the past year and 26% said they lived with a long-term mental health condition.
Leanne Mordue, a director at JDR Group, said: “Our industry is fast-paced, ever-changing and deadlines are part of the job, so we recognise that there is the potential for people to struggle because of workplace issues or those from other areas of their life.
“World Mental Health Day is a great opportunity for us to get everyone together, no matter what their age, background or job role, to learn about how to spot what to look out for and how to support someone they think might be struggling.
“People spend most of their time at work so if they are facing any challenges they are going to come out here, so if we want a growing and nurturing workforce then it is necessary for us to put these events in place.”
JDR Group was founded in 2004 as a business coaching company and although it has evolved into a digital marketing firm it continues to coach and train owners of small and medium-sized businesses while offering a range of services including SEO, web design, social media and content marketing.
This year it was named in the top one per cent of HubSpot’s global partner agencies which use the customer platform to bring their clients’ marketing, sales and customer service activity together within one integrated system.
