In celebrating the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Dec. 3., 2018, Sodexo has focused on raising awareness on mental health through the initiative: Open our minds on mental health.
Because:
- 1-in-4 of us will experience a mental health condition at some point in our life, according to the World Health Organization,
- Mental health conditions are the leading cause of workplace absenteeism, costing the global economy $1 trillion each year,
- 1-in-6 of the working population will have a mental health condition at any given time,
- Yet, only 1-in-3 people experiencing a mental health condition will seek help and treatment.
Opening the dialogue on mental health is key to create a mentally healthy workplace that is beneficial for everyone. These benefits are numerous: building and inclusive and truly diverse workforce, attracting and retaining top talent—workers see the mental health of a workplace as a key element when choosing where they want to work—, a more engaged workforce, reduced costs due to absenteeism and better productivity.