Game Nation has dedicated all of May to addressing the mental wellbeing of its team. The company has given every employee with free access to an assistance programme which provides counselling and advice as well as training five employees to become Mental Health First Aiders.
Game Nation is leading the way in how the industry provides for the wellbeing and mental health of its staff. The company, which is the UK’s third largest high street gaming operator, has designated May as its Mental Health Awareness Month, dovetailing with the national awareness week (12th – 18th May). HR Director Julie Redfern is implementing the Game Nation commitment to its staff which has seen it provide every employee with free access to confidential counselling as well as investing in the training of five Mental Health First Aiders.
Expanding on the initiatives Julie Redfern stated: “For the Game Nation team May is all about raising awareness of how we can take care of our mental wellbeing which is connected to everything we do as individuals both in and out of the work place. Our focus is on how we can keep getting better at supporting all the great people working in our venues and central support teams.
“At the start of our journey, we introduced and continue to offer every employee with free access to an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). EAP supports our team members by providing counselling, advice, and resources for personal and work-related challenges. Our aim is to improve mental health, reduce stress, and promote a positive work environment, ultimately leading to enhanced employee engagement, and improvements in productivity and retention.”
The most recent development has seen Game Nation train five employees to become Mental Health First Aiders. The certified two-day external training course provides individuals with the skills required to appropriately identify and respond to cases of ill mental health at work.
“A mental health first aid programme trains employees to recognise the signs of mental health issues in the workplace” noted Julie. “Individual accreditation lasts three years and equips staff with the knowledge and insight to identify signs of mental health problems and trains them to encourage employees dealing with these issues to seek the right help.
“As well as being a certified first aider, mental health first aid at work also promotes employees to identify the early stages of potential problems, help colleagues dealing with mental health issues, remove/reduce the stigma associated with ill mental health and help staff members to a quicker recovery.”
Game Nation CEO Mark Jepp added: “When I embarked on my career in the industry poor mental health was something that you simply wouldn’t discuss or acknowledge. Work-related stress, anxiety and depression are now the biggest causes of absence and are responsible for over 15.4 million lost working days every year.
“This remains a huge issue for employers of all sizes and I’m delighted at the practical and progressive initiatives that we have introduced. I firmly believe the wellbeing investment that we are making is key to having a successful, happy, motivated and engaged work force.”
