TMF Group has become one of the first Fiduciary Services Businesses in Jersey to appoint a team of mental health first aiders (MHFAs) for its 70-strong St Helier workforce. The move is designed to help any employees who may be struggling with mental health issues. It comes after the UK’s October 2017 Thriving At Work study found that there are now more people at work with mental health conditions than ever before, and 300,000 people with long term mental health problems lose their jobs each year. The study showed that a lack of adequate mental health support in the workplace can have a knock-on effect to other team members; through increased workloads due to high staff turnover rates and sick leave. Poor mental health is apparently estimated to cost employers ‘in the professional services sector on average £1,473 – £1,998 per employee, per year’. How they got that incredibly accurate number we don’t know, but it is a lot! TMF Jersey’s MHFAs were trained and appointed at the suggestion of employee Jo Carpenter. She has worked tirelessly to promote the importance of good mental health and was very open about her own history with anxiety and depression upon joining the company one year ago.
