#timetotalk - PwC & Barclays in the North West

This morning, we were delighted to chair an event at our No 1 Spinningfields offices in Manchester, jointly with Barclays to mark Time to Talk Day, and were joined by representatives from Manchester Airports Group, United Utilities, Co-op Group, Sellafield, Arup UK, Addleshaw Goddard, Carter Corson, GM Combined Authority (Andy Burnham's office),  Manchester City Council, Greater Manchester Chambers of Commerce, Pinsent Masons & Team Mental Health.

One of the reasons this initiative is so important to PwC is that recent statistics show that the challenges for UK business are:

• 4 in 10 UK employees have experienced stress, anxiety, or depression and not told their employer
• 78% of employers think staff are willing to disclose mental health problems, but only 4% with depression said they actually would.

We have already made good progress within PwC to tackle mental health in the workplace, but there is so much more we can do for ourselves and to support our wider community.  The objectives of this initiative with Barclays are:

1. To raise awareness and start to change attitudes towards mental health, right across our region (what a result that would be!)
2. To provide employers (both big and small) and employees with access to resources to support them improving mental health awareness and management at work
3. Ultimately, to reduce the incidence of mental health related absences / recurrence which will contribute to

• Reducing the number of people falling out of employment due to mental health issues
• Improving productivity & reducing costs to employers
• The Success of Our People, Our Place Plan and the GM Good Employers Charter
• Reducing the costs of Mental Health to the NW Health & social care services

…..And for the North West to lead the way in pioneering these changes.  Watch this space for further developments and please make contact if you would like to be involved.