Australia, 19 March 2018 – In alignment with Sodexo’s commitment to improve Quality of Life and a zero harm workplace, Sodexo Australia has invested in a new digital solution to proactively manage mental health in the workplace.

Together with Tap into Safety, Sodexo has introduced a ground breaking early intervention mental health training & assessment tool called “All of Me". The program will be rolled out across Sodexo’s Australian workforce to help develop the physical and mental wellbeing of employees. The online platform works to increase mental health literacy through ‘gamified micro-learning’, with tailored training modules, animated interactive scenarios, and non-confrontational ways for individuals to access support at any time.

A component of the module encourages users to self-assess their own mental state using the industry-standard DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale), which is used by medical professionals to diagnose potential mental illnesses. This provides insights into the psychosocial health of various segments of the business enabling the organisation to put effective interventions and future programs in place.

Ria Smith, Sodexo HSE Director, said: ”At Sodexo, safety is a fundamental part of our mission to improve the Quality of Life of our employees and we place mental health with equal importance to physical health. We are very excited about the prospect of rolling out this solution to all of our 5000 employees as it is aligned with our mental health strategy to build a resilient workforce, supports prevention of psychological harm and enables more effective support for those facing mental health challenges. It will also give us greater insight of mental health challenges and will inform our future mental health prevention programs”.

Mark Chalmers, Sodexo Australia CFO and Country President, said: “Our ambition is to “walk our talk” in terms of improving Quality of Life, especially for our own people. We know that employee wellbeing is key to a productive and engaged workforce and there are many positive organisational outcomes to improving mental health in the workplace. However, mental health in the workplace is not just a business priority for us; it is a part of our fundamental core values.”

Dr Susanne Bahn, Tap into Safety Founder and CEO, said: “Sodexo Australia is forward thinking in their adoption of All of Me for their workforce. Many of their employees work in remote areas and on long swings away from home. In offering the tool, all employees can access training, information and immediate support on their mobile phone, tablet or online anywhere and at any time.”

Sodexo’s broader approach to mental health focuses on overall mental wellbeing and building resilience. Sodexo implemented its holistic mental health awareness initiative ‘I Hear You’ across its Australian business in 2014, for which it won an AMMA Workforce Innovation Award. The program provides tangible, meaningful and immediate support to its employees in times of personal crisis as well as providing the skills and education to detect signs of personal crisis among friends, family and colleagues. I Hear You works to reduce stigma, encourage help-seeking and early intervention, and ultimately drive positive cultural and behavioural change throughout the company.

To read the full version of the press release, please download the PDF.

 

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