Befrienders (Gibraltar) Limited (“GibSams”)
Registered office: 57/63 Line Wall Road, Gibraltar
Incorporation number: 115887
Registered by the Charities Commission of Gibraltar with registration number 285
Corporate Wellbeing Recognition Scheme – 2019/2020
GibSams welcomes the fact that many companies in Gibraltar have continued to embrace the need to develop and implement effective Health and Wellbeing policies for their employees. There is a greater need now more than ever to have policies that sufficiently address both the mental and physical health of employees in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
This September, as part of our ‘Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Worldwide’ programme, GibSams is renewing its ‘Corporate Wellbeing Recognition Scheme’ following its successful launch last year. The scheme’s purpose is to publicly recognise and reward companies, regardless of the size of their businesses, that have successfully implemented positive changes for the benefit of their employees.
We shall present trophies and recognition certificates to the worthy recipients in due course. Whilst we will be unable to do so at our usual Wellbeing Recognition Gala Event, we will make alternative arrangements accordingly.
Cultivating a work environment that fosters good mental health and wellbeing is essential. By doing so, businesses can have a direct positive effect on their employee’s quality of life, and it also has an indirect benefit to Gibraltar’s economy and society as a whole. For many of us, work is a significant part of our lives. It is where we spend much of our time, where we earn our income, and often where we make meaningful friendships.
A range of factors influences our mental health and general wellbeing. These include our feelings of fulfilment at work; the way we feel about ourselves, our sense of purpose, belonging and control. Employees depend on it to perform and work to their maximum ability, which further makes the management of employees’ mental wellbeing the right business decision for employers. Through the course of our lives, many of us experience a variety of physical health problems, from colds and sore throats to sprained ankles and broken bones. Similarly, we all have times when life becomes too overwhelming from a mental health perspective. Sometimes that may be work-related, or it could be something else – whether it is our physical health, our relationships, or our general circumstances.
For Gibraltar’s businesses to flourish, they need to let their employees know that it is ok not to be ok. That any requests for support in respect of their mental health will not be held against them or prejudice them in any way at their workplace. They should not treat the promotion of both mental and physical wellbeing in our workplaces as an “initiative”. They should instead concentrate on how fostering a positive workplace culture will allow their employees and businesses to thrive.
One of GibSams’ aims is to increase awareness in Gibraltar of how we all have mental health as well as physical health. Both should be deemed equally important in the workplace, and all employees should have an appropriate level of support they may require from their employers.
The success of a business should start with the health and wellbeing of its employees.
We invite all those companies that have implemented a Health and Wellbeing Programme that addresses both employees’ mental and physical health to please contact us at info@gibsams.gi. We wish to acknowledge your efforts publicly and present you with a trophy and recognition certificate. Please note that the closing date for submissions is Friday 25th September.
Trustees: Marie-Lou Guerrero MBE, Peter Montegriffo QC, Dr Rene Beguelin, Ian Howes, Brenda Cuby, John Montegriffo, Nicholas Borge, Kevin Hook
