May is Mental Health Awareness Month and at Reed & Mackay, the mental, physical and emotional health of our people is paramount. As a leading TMC, we have a long-standing reputation for providing exceptional service to our clients – and it’s a legacy we’re very proud of. But we know that at the very heart of that service is our people.

Across the globe, we’re all adapting to a new hybrid world of work. At Reed & Mackay, we’ve had a strong homeworking network of employees for many years, and we actively embrace agile working. As we strive to find a new normal, we have heighted our focus on ensuring that every member of our global team feels connected and supported, no matter where they physically sit.

At Reed & Mackey, this year’s Mental Health Awareness Month focuses on loneliness. Emerging from the pandemic, we have all seen first-hand or have heard stories that demonstrate how detrimental loneliness can be to our mental health. At Reed & Mackay, I see every day how caring our community is, and within HR we work to offer resources and programs for our people to help minimize loneliness, both in the workplace and beyond.

After a very difficult couple of years, and like many businesses, we have seen a rise in people facing mental and emotional health challenges. In addition to our team of trained Mental Health First Aiders that are available to assist in times of need, we also have a Well-Being Hub that provides access to various clinical medical and mental health programs and resources. And our Employee Assistance Program provides support, information, advice and specialized counselling for employees 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

We love our culture at Reed & Mackay and are constantly looking for ways to encourage openness and conversation between one another. Through initiatives like our annual April ‘Spring in Your Step’ Challenge – where colleagues form walking teams that share successes, challenges, photos and more – we encourage teamwork, camaraderie and physical health, which in turn promotes positive mental health and connects our people. We tied this year’s challenge to fundraising efforts for Ukrainian refugee relief, which added an additional layer of compassion for our employees.

As corporate travel comes flooding back, we find ourselves in a very exciting time. But with that comes a great deal of work and some long hours for our employees. I’m always so impressed, so proud and so grateful when I see the efforts that our people go to in order to support our clients and each other. While there are certainly bursts of busy periods, as an HR team and a wider business, we never lose sight of the importance of helping employees to meet their optimum home and work-life balance. The fact that there are numerous people who have been with us for 20+ years is testament to our focus on a sustainable approach to work.

As the Global HR Director at Reed & Mackay, I am passionate about not only finding ways to provide the support that our people need, but championing our values – bringing care, fun, passion and entrepreneurial spirit into everything that we do.  We will always work to put our employees first because we know that to deliver an extraordinary service to our clients, we need to deliver an extraordinary culture for our people.