Bangor University pledges to tackle mental health stigma in the workplace
Bangor University has signed the Time for Change Wales Employer Pledge.
The pledge is a public declaration that the University is committed to tackling mental health stigma and discrimination around mental health, and is accompanied by an action plan outlining the steps that Bangor University will take as part of the pledge.
Time to Change Wales is funded by the Welsh Government and delivered jointly by Adferiad/Recovery and Mind Cymru, and recently delivered an awareness session to Bangor University’s new staff wellbeing champions and wellbeing coaches.
2 in 5 workers in Wales are affected by mental health problems like anxiety, depression and stress where work life was a contributing factor. A survey of more than 44,000 employees revealed that only half of those who had experienced poor mental health had talked to their employer about it, suggesting that as many as 1 in 4 UK workers are struggling in silence, which reinforces the stigma around mental health (Mental Health at Work: Time to take Ownership, Business in the Community, 2019).
Speaking at the launch, Rachelle Bright of Time to Change Wales said,
“I’m delighted to be here at Bangor University during Mental Health Awareness Week to see the university sign the Time to Change Wales Employer Pledge.
"Time to Change Wales is delighted to support Bangor University in further helping to break the silence around mental health. Imagine if every organisation in Wales made a public pledge to tackle stigma: employers big and small, councils, universities, football clubs, places of worship, charities… that would send a powerful message that mental health is something that can be talked about, and that stigma and discrimination are not welcome!"
Professor Andrew Edwards, Pro-Vice-Chancellor with responsibility for driving Bangor University’s health and wellbeing agenda said,
“This pledge is a public commitment to changing the way we think and act about mental health at every level of Bangor University.
“In order to sign the Pledge we submitted an action plan detailing what we will do. These include making mental health and wellbeing part of the induction process, encouraging staff to share narratives about how they support their own mental health and wellbeing, organising events and training around these subjects, signposting, and general awareness raising across the university. I hope we all leave this event today continuing to reflect on how we communicate with and support one another over the coming years.”
For further details on the programme visit www.timetochangewales.org.uk.
For more information on health and wellbeing activities at Bangor University, visit https://www.bangor.ac.uk/health-and-wellbeing.