Greggs boss signs pledge to raise awareness about mental health

Roger Whiteside, chief executive at Greggs has signed the Time to Change Employer Pledge as a first step toward breaking the stigma surrounding mental health.

One quarter of British workers are affected by conditions like anxiety, depression and stress every year and mental ill-health is the leading cause of sickness absence in the UK, costing an average of £1,035 per employee per year.

The Time to Change Pledge shows Greggs' long-term commitment to change how people think and act about mental health in the workplace and make sure that employees who are facing problems feel supported.

Whiteside said: "I am proud to sign the Time to Change Employer Pledge on behalf of everyone involved with Greggs. The health and wellbeing of all of our colleagues is of the utmost importance to us and is a key feature of our business plan which aims to have a positive impact on people's lives. This pledge is extremely important to us and has dedicated focus at the highest level of the business."

Earlier this year, Greggs launched its health and wellbeing initiative, Balanced You, which covers four key areas: healthy eating and drinking, keeping active and physically well, healthy social life and good relationships and positive mental wellbeing.

Roisin Currie, people and retail director at Greggs, said: "One in four people will experience a mental health issue and nine in 10 people with a mental health problem experience stigma and discrimination. With over 20,000 colleagues and millions of customers visiting our shops every week, it is our responsibility to do our bit and take action against the stigma and discrimination and help end the silence surrounding mental illness."

Greggs joins over 500 businesses which have signed the pledge, including: Heineken, Compass Group, Unilever, John West, Pizza Hut and Tesco.

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