BT moves from healthy hearts to minds

News | HSW
01.12.2006

BT has launched a major programme to remove stigma about discussing mental health issues and tackle problems such as anxiety, depression and stress among its 104 000-strong workforce. The Work Fit - Positive Mentality campaign, launched on 10 October to coincide with national Mental Health Day, aims to encourage staff to adopt healthier habits at home and at work to help them cope better with stress.

The programme was drawn up in collaboration with unions Connect and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and with the support of mental health charities the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health and MIND. It aims to encourage BT staff to make small changes in both their home and working lives and help them cope better with stress and anxiety. The campaign is a development of the telecom giant's longstanding Work Fit initiative to promote physical fitness among staff, and involves a series of two-week units publicising techniques to maintain mental wellbeing.

Support mechanisms

BT admits that around 500 of its workers are off sick at any time with mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, post-natal depression and stress. But Sally Ward, diversity manager for BT people and policy, is quick to argue the initiative has not been devised in response to that figure but as part of the company's ongoing health programme. She adds that 70% of the group's employees off on long periods of sick leave for whatever reason come back because of its support mechanisms.

The 16-week programme, which will run until 30 January, consists of eight two-week modules.

1. Keep active.
2. Eat well and drink sensibly.
3. Relax.
4. Keep in touch with friends and family.
5. Talk about it.
6. Maintain close relationships.
7. Ask for help.
8. Accept who you are.

Each module is split into smaller two-day units rolled out in BT's online magazine BT Today. The units include advice to employees on getting more exercise and taking up Tai Chi to aid relaxation. Each module is followed by an online quiz to provide feedback to the programme team, with the incentive that those who fill in six or more quizzes become eligible to win a week's holiday in St Lucia or runner-up prizes of a health-spa weekend.

Aside from the company intranet, the radio station CSFM, which operates in BT's call centres, is also drawing attention to the campaign. The unions and MIND are running a series of roadshows throughout the 16-week campaign, during 10 of which MIND will offer a small number of staff a brief one-to-one coaching session so they can discuss any issues of concern.

Ward says the new initiative builds on previous efforts to promote good mental health and help employees tackle stress. "Eighteen months ago we launched our One in Four booklet, which discusses mental ill health," she says, "along with Stream, an online assessment tool staff can fill in at any time that asks questions about both home and work."

The One in Four pamphlet looks at what constitutes mental health and what mental ill health means, be it depression, bipolar disease, post-natal depression or stress. It offers practical steps for line managers to take when dealing with a member of staff suffering from mental ill health and advises individuals experiencing mental problems on ways of coping, including where to go for more help.

Prompted by active encouragement from the company and its unions to come forward and check if they are suffering from too much stress, around 1600 employees have filled in the Stream assessment. Each analysis shows green, amber or red and in cases of amber or red a line manager will be notified and a meeting arranged to discuss any practical changes that could be made for the worker; offering more flexible working patterns for those having difficulties with childcare, for example. The employee can also be referred to an external counsellor via the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) scheme.

"'One in four' is seen as a benchmark amongst employers as it talks about what mental health is," says Ward. "And we're openly encouraging people to fill in Stream as it's all about breaking down the stigma of mental ill health, and supporting those with problems. The underpinning thing is that the more our language is inclusive about mental health and removes the stigma, the more chance we have of addressing it."

The Work Fit campaign has four purposes: creating awareness about what is meant by mental health; getting across the message that mental ill health is not something that couldn't happen to you; providing details of where to get support; and recognising that there are people in BT who experience mental ill health.

"We did have a briefing with the OH&S department about the campaign and said they may find more people ring wanting to go on the EAP," she adds. "This, we believe, would be a good thing as it means we are bringing mental ill health out into the open."

Feedback from the campaign will help the company identify any problem areas, she says, but its primary aim is to help stop the stress cycle, help prevent those with stress succumbing to depression, and ensure employees are better placed to perform at work.

"Our greatest measure of success will be if our people fill in the questionnaires," she concludes. "And if we can help encourage those reluctant to admit they've got problems to come forward, it will be worth it."