Movember: Mental Wellbeing At Work
28th Nov 2022
What is the meaning of Movember?
Movember was created to raise awareness about men's health, including suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer.
There are several ways people can share support and fundraise, from growing a moustache to walking or running 60 km over November, as well as other activities and challenges.Why is Movember so important?
The state of men’s health is in a crisis, with many men dying far too young. Poor mental health affects men more than it does women, with the male suicide rate being at 15.8 per 100,000 compared to the female suicide rate of 5.5 per 100,000. According to ONS, males accounted for three-quarters of suicide deaths registered in the UK in 2021.
Additionally, prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in 112 countries and the leading cause of cancer death in 48 countries, with the number of cases expected to almost double to 1.7 million cases by 2030.
This is why people across the world unite every Movember to raise awareness and funding towards the men’s mental health crises.
Our very own Oliver Taylor opted to participate in Movember, showing solidarity with this incredible cause - “I’m proud to provide my support and raise awareness around the cause. Many men find it difficult to express their emotions, which can lead to a decline in mental health. Being a father of two, a girl and boy, I would hope for both to be able to openly express how they’re feeling, be able to reach out for support, and feel comfortable doing so. We need to break down the stigmas around mental health. Talk more and be comfortable saying that we’re not ok. There is a long way to go in solving the mental health crisis, but companies are definitely taking a step in the right direction through supporting mental well-being at work.”
Which companies provide mental well-being at work?
There are a number of Flexified companies offering mental well-being support to their employees. We’ve spoken to a couple of them below to learn more about the support on offer.
“As part of our ongoing commitment to well-being, we are giving more boxxers the opportunity to take part in a Mental Health First Aid training course. This means we will have more Mental health first-aiders trained and at hand to help and support our employees who need assistance. Mental health first-aiders also promote a workplace culture where staff are free to discuss mental health issues openly and feel supported by their colleagues when they do so”
Alex Errington (She/ Her) - Boxxe
“In our September all-hands meeting, we launched our new mental health app Spill! Alongside some other benefit updates, we wanted to provide our team with a safe space to access video therapy sessions, manager mental health training, and regular feelings check-ins. Spill is always available to our team and always anonymous with the therapy sessions happening outside of Slack, so anything you say is kept completely private.”
Edith Norvor - Blexr