Weekly Dose of ESG — Mental Health Matters
Mental Health Matters
Friday, 14th May 2021
What is going on?
It seems as though every week now has a dedicated purpose — how stressful (we don’t blame you for missing the National Stationery Week back in April, just make sure you don’t miss the National Spa Week in September)!
But jokes aside. The second week of May is dedicated to a topic too often stigmatized, yet affecting us all — Mental Health.
It is safe to say that the impact of the latest global pandemic was felt beyond the physical or economic toll. The lines between work and private life got blurred, bringing about a sense of uncertainty, loneliness, stress and financial instability, which, enhanced by never-ending restrictive measures, have triggered anxiety and depression around the globe.
For decades, companies praised themselves for treating “people as their greatest assets”, but now was the time to actually prove it. The way companies responded to the shift to a new full-time working from home set-ups is a direct manifestation of their culture and values. And take note, this is not about maintaining a status quo, but about driving the single most important factor in the sustainable growth rate of your ROE (Return on Employee) — we’re talking quality, not quantity.
What does the data tell us?
The links between a workforce’s mental wellbeing and the continuity, consistency and reliability of business operations have been proven multiple times. As such, the ESG’s “Social” dimension, mental health information is slowly (and finally) finding its way to non-financial reporting as investors and regulators demand data on the topic.
The latest voice comes out of the UK, where an investor-led mental health program is seeking to “drive workplace mental health to the top of the corporate agenda” for exactly those reasons.
Another example of a pioneering success is shown with Quilter — the wealth manager has partnered up with mental health app Spill, launching a support program for its advisers. This and other great initiatives that the company has launched is also reflected in its above-average S-Ray Employment Quality indicator (feeding into the aggregate ESG score), as Quilter scores 80/100. We love it!
What can we do?
We encourage you to switch off, exercise, meditate and read a good book. Take care of your body and your soul.
In concrete terms, you’ll have a great impact if:
- You talk to your friends, family and colleagues. Chances are that they may have experience in facing the difficulties you are facing now. Setting aside your pride and asking for help is the 21st century’s most important sign of personal strength!
- Get your company to take care of you and your colleagues — you’re not the sole bearer of this responsibility. And there are masses of helpful ideas out there (including those from Elevate and Mind).
Sending you positive vibes, from our team to yours!
Paula & Nicolas
*Source: Arabesque S-Ray, data as of 13th May 2021
