Ahead of World Mental Health Day this Friday 10 October, a new health and wellbeing service is aiming to help British workers stay healthier in the office.
Brits take around 150 million sick days per year, costing the economy over £100 billion. The Looking After Me app offers workers a 15 minute counselling session every month with trained nurses who formerly worked for the NHS. There are also addition in-app services like daily and weekly wellbeing checks, group sessions, and wellbeing strategies.
Referrals to counsellors and GPs within 24 hours are also available for things like prescriptions if the in-app team requires further help and support.
Employees have a regular monthly check-in but can also request spontaneous meetings with their Looking After Me counsellor if they feel they need one.
However, the main idea behind the app is to provide preventative healthcare, helping workers ultimately remain happy and productive through the winter months.
“You would be hard pressed to find a business leader that doesn’t describe their workforce as their greatest asset, which is why it’s so important to prioritise prevention over cure,” says company founder Ruth Tuthill, who has 20 years of experience in the wellness space.
“Without early intervention, employees can suffer in silence, leading to burnout, absenteeism and reduced productivity,” said Claire Cooper, HR strategist who partnered with Tithill on the launch.
Workshops and events take place all across the capital to earmark World Mental Health Day. An evening dedicated to self-care takes place at the London School of Economics, there’s a ‘move and sketch’ afternoon at the Tower of London and a midday stress management workshop at The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities.
Go to mentalhealth.org.uk; Looking After Me is on app stores; pricing starts from £15 per employee per month, depending on the size of the organisation. This includes monthly 1-to-1 health coach sessions, access to our wellbeing app, preventative webinars and wellbeing days, plus ongoing data insights for leaders.