Raising awareness for mental health in the workplace during COVID-19
The World Day for Safety and Health at Work and the International Workers Memorial Day is held on 28 April 2021.
Organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the World Day for Safety and Health at Work is an annual, worldwide campaign to promote safe, healthy and decent work. The day also marks, Workers’ Memorial Day to highlight the preventable nature of most workplace incidents and ill-health. Furthermore, it promotes campaigns and union organisations in the fight for improvements in workplace safety.
With the emergence of the global Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, we have faced unprecedented challenges. Covid-19 touches nearly every aspect of our lives, from our working practices, the way we shop, socialise and travel. “Let’s not forget the challenges the nation has also encountered in respect of the impact of mental health and wellbeing. Not only did many suffer bereavement of those lost to the virus, but working environments also changed and medical appointments cancelled to name a few. At Ground Control it was critical for us to ensure our people remained at the “centre of all we do”. We have ensured that we remain “connected” and “support” everyone across the organisation. We have launched many initiatives including; wellbeing days, one to one counselling, online GP services and deployment of the Calm app. We continue to review services as we ease back into the “new world” where the return to the office environment can prove to be emotionally challenging and an anxious time. We have had the opportunity to undertake a refurbishment on our headquarters and “revitalise” our working environment, connecting our people with flexible and working areas incorporating open spaces and connectivity to our outdoor breakout areas” Angelina Sooren, HSQE Director, Ground Control
The 2021 World Day for Safety and Health at Work focuses on strengthening our health and safety procedures and systems, such as occupational health, to allow for flexibility to cope with crises, such as COVID-19 now and in the future.
At Ground Control we take the health, safety and wellbeing of our people extremely seriously and we will be taking the opportunity on the World Day for Safety and Health at Work to raise awareness and conversation around the importance of maintaining our mental health and wellbeing and our ongoing fight against COVID-19.
