Mental Health Awareness Week 2023

Mental Health Awareness Week

A ‘Wear It Green’ day was held at Reflex Vehicle Hire as part of a series of events to support Mental Health Awareness Week.

The day is organised by the Mental Health Foundation, a UK charity which has been raising awareness and providing support since 1949.

The ‘Wear It Green’ day enables businesses and employees to recognise the importance of promoting and protecting mental health.

It recognises growing concern about mental health around the world, with 1 in 6 people estimated to have been affected by a common mental health problem in the past week alone.

As part of a series of events to support Mental Health Awareness Week, team members at Reflex wore green and also took part in a bake sale to raise funds, which are being donated to mental health charity MIND.

This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week focuses on anxiety. Experts say it is important to recognise when we feel anxious or uncertain and respond to it, so it doesn’t become overwhelming in times of stress. 

This is particularly important during the cost-of-living crisis, with more than one-third of adults feeling anxious about their financial situation. 

Focusing on anxiety for this year's Mental Health Awareness Week will increase people's understanding of the issue by providing information on the things that can help prevent it from becoming a problem.

How Reflex Vehicle Hire supports mental health and wellbeing

Reflex Vehicle Hire has placed mental health and wellbeing at the heart of its business strategy to ensure employees are empowered and supported to provide the highest levels of customer service.

When a company cares for its staff and customers, benefits are felt at every level of the business.

We have introduced our own Mental Health Ambassador, Charlie Atkins, supported by a team of champions within the business who can provide help and advice. In 2021, Reflex also adopted the MIND Time to Change pledge on mental health.

Working time is also allocated to formal training so champions can provide support to team members as part of a ‘mental health first aid’ programme.

Initiatives are part of an honest and open culture where discussion is encouraged and employees feel able to raise issues and ask for help.

Reflex Vehicle Hire initiatives for drivers

Wellbeing is also at the centre of Reflex’s approach to supporting vehicle hire customers, particularly through offering driver support.

Studies into driver wellbeing have warned of underlying hardships being faced by workers that have been worsened during the pandemic. One study of 2,000 van drivers found 92% were feeling stressed.

Companies need to consider how these external factors, such as depression or sleep problems, could directly affect driver safety.

We provide advice and information to drivers through the distribution of in-vehicle packs by supporting the CALM Driver campaign and raise awareness of wellbeing during our regular communication with fleet managers.

This encourages open dialogue between managers and their drivers, to identify any issues that could affect driving standards and increase the risk of incidents and injury.

This is part of the Reflex Safety as Standard pledge, which was a cornerstone commitment in the boardroom when Reflex Vehicle Hire was founded in 2012.

For more information on Mental Health Awareness Week and to access a range of resources, visit www.mentalhealth.org.uk.
 

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