An important part of our health, safety and wellbeing strategy is to develop a workforce that’s healthy and resilient. Mental health in New Zealand is an ongoing issue, with Maori, European and Pacific men aged 15-24 and 45-64 identified as particularly at risk of taking their own lives. WIth this group making up a significant part of our workforce, we knew we needed to find new ways to support our staff’s wellbeing.
In 2017, we invited Mike King to talk to our people about mental health, and how and where to seek help. Mike is a well-known Kiwi entertainer, turned prominent mental health educator. His charity, "The Key to Life Charitable Trust", aims to lower the risk of depression and suicide, by influencing positive social change.
Mike gave two talks to staff at our Waitemata site. The talks were also live-streamed to our other sites through Workplace by Facebook, so everyone could access the sessions anytime, anywhere.
Feedback was fantastic, with nearly 200 people attending or viewing the sessions online. Today, DB still uses Workplace by Facebook to share information and articles with our staff, keeping the conversation around mental health going.