A workplace wellbeing awards scheme, aiming to celebrate workplaces supporting staff mental health, was announced last week by Cork City’s Lord Mayor.

The scheme, the first of its kind in the country, will celebrate efforts made in workplaces across Cork to support staff.

PSYCHED stands for ‘Positive Support You Can Have Every Day’ and its announcement is timed to coincide with the World Health Organisation’s World Mental Health Day today.

Lord Mayor, Cllr. Tony Fitzgerald, said that as a WHO Healthy City Cork prided itself in supporting and promoting health.

“I’m delighted that workplaces are joining us in strengthening our communities through this PSYCHED scheme”.

HSE Principal Psychologist HSE in Cork, Daniel Flynn went on: “We spend one third of our day at work. It makes sense that we should encourage and reward workplaces that support the positive wellbeing of their staff. We really want to stimulate conversations leading to a better understanding of mental health while celebrating the commitment, good practice and innovation in mental health promotion in the workplace through participation in the 2019 PSYCHED Awards”.

In 2015 consulting firm Mercer conducted a survey that found that Irish workers were more stressed than their UK counterparts (82% v 74%); while the Small Firms Association – Absenteeism Report 2014 found that absence costs small business over €490 million per annum with 4,052,222 days lost in 2014.

The report also found that the main mental health issues that impact on workers in terms of absenteeism are anxiety and depression (13%), stress (7%), nervous debility/bereavement (4%) and post-natal depression (2%).

Application to the scheme is open to every type of workplace categorised as sole trader, emerging business, small-medium enterprise, multinational, not for profit and public service.

Successful applicants will be awarded the 2019 PSYCHED Certificate of Recognition.

PSYCHED is an initiative of Cork Healthy Cities, which is supported by Cork City Council, the Health Service Executive and University College Cork. All participating workplaces will be hosted in Cork City Hall in a celebration and showcase by Lord Mayor Cllr Tony Fitzgerald.