How positive mental health can boost your business

At IOSH 2017, Geoff McDonald will discuss how organisations can enhance the wellbeing of people who work for them and examine the positive impact this can have.

Geoff has a wealth of experience working across the world and is a much sought-after speaker, providing practical insights for how businesses can addresses the taboo associated with wellbeing, particularly mental health. 

He will look at the huge business cost of mental health problems and detail research that has demonstrated how businesses with high levels of employee wellbeing outperform the market.

He said: “We live in very volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous times. For those in the working world that is compounded by the workplace expecting more from their people.

“These times are having a profound effect upon the wellbeing of employees across all sectors. I equate wellbeing to the ‘energy’ of people, which I believe is the most limiting resource in the working world today. This assertion is being played out in the rising incidence of depression and anxiety in the workplace.

“Energy should be seen as being as important as skills, knowledge, behaviours and experience in driving the performance of people, and organisations need to find ways to include this as a key component of their performance and development programmes.”

Personal experience of mental health problems drove Geoff to want to break the stigma around it in workplaces and ensure people receive the support they require. His initial focus was colleagues at Unilever but he has worked with other organisations since leaving there in 2014. 

Geoff will give his speech on the first day of IOSH 2017. He is one of a number of high-level inspirational speakers at the event, which is aimed at business leaders across sectors, not just health and safety professionals.

IOSH 2017 is being held at the International Convention Centre (ICC), Birmingham, UK, on 20-21 November. A tailored programme has been devised around occupational health and wellbeing. To view it, click here [1].

Other speakers include Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Arts, Stephen Martin, Director-General of the Institute of Directors, and legendary Paralympian Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson. Television broadcaster Cathy Newman will chair the event.

This is the first year that IOSH has organised every aspect of its annual conference. It has also introduced a range of new ticket deals including special rates for full-time students and apprentices. To make an online booking, click here [2]. For general conference enquiries email ioshconference@iosh.com [3], or call +44 (0)116 257 3129.