Maritime UK is launching its second Mental Health in Maritime survey, one year on from the first. The survey will analyse how employers support good mental health in the maritime sector and the findings will be published in February 2022.
Maritime UK is calling on business leaders to participate in the survey and sign up to the Mental Health in Maritime Pledge.
The Mental Health in Maritime Network was launched as part of the Diversity in Maritime programme in May 2020. The Network provides members with a platform to share information and help each other achieve and develop mental health best practice.
The Network also provides companies and individuals with relevant information about mental health resources, best practice guides and toolkits.
The Network’s first output was to launch the Mental Health in Maritime Benchmark survey in October 2020. The survey identified areas where the programme needs to focus its efforts to drive positive change. For instance, only 24% of people surveyed said that their organisation produced, implemented, and communicated a mental health at work plan.
The Benchmark survey also prompted the launch of the Mental Health in Maritime Pledge in March 2021. This calls on senior executives to make clear their support for creating positive change within their respective organisations, and collectively, across the UK maritime sector.
By signing the Pledge, companies and other organisations in the sector will be making a public commitment to improving mental health and wellbeing for their workforce and will be asked to report against the Pledge. Until now, it has been signed by over 70 leaders including the Maritime Minister, Robert Courts.
Chrissie Clarke, Head of Diversity and Operations at Maritime UK, said:
“COVID-19 has had a huge impact on mental health and wellbeing, especially at work. As we move into a post-COVID world, we must stand together and commit to improving the quality of mental health and wellbeing throughout the sector
Furthermore, Stu Pollard, Chair, Mental Health in Maritime Network and Director of H&S – Resilience at Arcadis, added that leaders must ask difficult questions:
Have we done enough for our employees, have we helped encourage conversations and help reduce the stigma of mental health and illness? Have we engaged positively with people and provided information and support that is accessible to all? Well, it is time to stop wondering if and start acting to make it a reality
