Jackson Hogg has partnered with XR Therapeutics to provide support to individuals with mental health conditions. As part of their corporate social responsibility programme, using our intervention, Jackson Hogg has pledged to fund anxiety treatment for a child with autism. We caught up with the team to understand why this was important for them:
What inspired you to partner with XR Therapeutics?
Jackson Hogg was founded on our core value of care, and we try and carry that through into everything we do. From sponsored walks and runs to charity auctions, we’re always on the lookout for ways to contribute to our local community, and the synthesis of technology and care that XR Therapeutics provides was a perfect fit for our CSR programme.
What does mental health mean to Jackson Hogg?
Our employee’s wellbeing is our most important priority, always. We stand by our core value of care in everything we do, and that starts with our colleagues within the business. We work in a sometimes very stressful industry, and mental health issues play a large role in the burnout that’s endemic to many high-stress professions today. At Jackson Hogg, mental health sickness is treated the same as physical illness because we believe a happy healthy workforce is a more productive and engaged one.
Why is supporting people with mental health conditions important?
Mental health affects not only all aspects of a person’s life and their overall health, but it affects their friends and family too. Supporting people with mental health conditions is critical to building a happy, healthy and strong community. From a business point of view, 1 in 4 people will experience some sort of mental health problem in their lifetime, resulting in 91% of organisations suffering from stress-related absences, meaning an emphasis on mental health support is not only the right ethical decision, but also the right commercial decision.
How do you think companies could do more to support people with mental health conditions?
Supporting people with mental health conditions can be hard, as people don’t often feel comfortable talking about such personal matters at work. Having an open culture where people feel comfortable talking about their mental health difficulties is critical. Functionally, this can be done through weekly one-to-ones, mental health first-aiders, wellbeing surveys and employee feedback forums.
What proactive steps does Jackson Hogg take to look out for the mental health of their employees?
We have an emphasis of mental health in our weekly one-to-ones, and ensure we don’t just cover work life but home life too. We also organise training sessions to teach employees how to manage their mental health and, importantly, spot the signs of poor mental health. This training is also extended to managers who are taught how to spot signs of poor mental health in employees and ensure they are having proactive conversations to address all employees mental health concerns. We try to ensure a good work-life balance by encouraging our employees to switch off when outside of the office, promote flexible working and healthy lifestyles and arrange company-wide walks and running clubs. Additionally, we have invested in an EAP system where employees can seek external help and access in-person professional advice for free.
As a recruitment agency, how do you suggest employers promote good mental health practices when their employees are working from home?
The most important aspect when planning a work-from-home scheme is making a clear disconnect between home life and work life. This includes having a separate work area, regular breaks and even a ‘virtual commute’ which can be as simple as taking a walk round the block before and after work. Keeping in contact with colleagues is also essential in order to avoid the loneliness that can sometimes come with home-working.
Do you believe there is a strong correlation between good mental health and the productivity of employees?
Absolutely. A happy workforce is a more engaged workforce – in fact, recent studies have shown that addressing wellbeing at work increased productivity by as much as 12%. Invest in your people and they will feel appreciated, seen, and in turn want to give back to the company.
At XR Therapeutics, we currently have a waiting list of patients that are seeking funding for our intervention. If you work for an organisation that would like to get involved please get in contact at hello@xrtherapeutics.co.uk.
