People often spend a large portion of their day at a workplace and, in doing so, get to know other employees over time. As a result, they may be in a good position to notice changes in behaviour that could suggest risk of suicide or mental health problems. With our employees spending over 1/3 of their life in a place of work, it is our responsibility to ensure that they are offered support and respect, both physically and mentally.
BeaverFit have a dominant presence in the provisions of fitness equipment for the military and so the consideration of suicide prevention and mental health awareness is of utmost importance, with 6,435 veteran adults committing suicide in 2018. For the past 12 years, suicide rates have been consistently higher among veterans than nonveterans. Furthermore, since 2005, the suicide rate has risen faster among veterans than it has for nonveteran adults.
BeaverFit UK and BeaverFit North America comprise of a team made up of veterans, ex-sports personnel and civilians – all deserving of support and acknowledgment in their life beyond the workplace.
What do we do to support our employees?
Here at BeaverFit UK, we boast an environment of warm and welcoming attitudes, a small family – if you will. As the business grows, so does the team… By welcoming movements such as Suicide Awareness Month into the workplace, we have encouraged a handful of staff to become Mental Health First Aid trained, helping us to identify warning signs in the mental wellbeing of our employees.
Alongside this, we encourage outdoor exercise with our Monthly Marathon, which allows us to embrace nature, get away from our desks and get to know one another on a personal level – a strategic bonding exercise.
This Suicide Awareness Month, our Marketing and HR team have collaboratively approached the movement with the idea of a random act of kindness. They hand-delivered a Suicide Awareness cupcake to each individual team member and educated the team on the signs and what to look out for in their monthly company meeting, whilst also pointing out the Mental Health First Aiders.
As a company, it is our responsibility to ensure the mental health and wellbeing of our employees, offering support and guidance in reward of their hard work and dedication.
It’s okay, not to be okay.
DAMSTRONG TEAM.
If you are struggling with Mental Health or Suicidal Thoughts, please reach out to the charities below.
– Text SHOUT to 85258 – Samaritans
– National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK can be reached on 0800 689 5652
– CALM (Nationwide) can be reached at 0800 58 58 58
