Second property firm offers help to staff with mental health issues

A property company is offering its employees in the UK and overseas a day’s leave later this month to mark World Mental Health Day.

A statement says: “All Christie & Co employees will be entitled to take a wellbeing, mental health day on any chosen day during the month of October 2021. This day is to be donated in recognition of the difficulties we have all faced throughout the last 18 months. Employees will be encouraged to take some time for themselves, to focus on their own mental health and wellbeing.”

Christie & Co is an agency specialising in business property sales, and its move follows one by London residential agency JOHNS&CO, which has over 100 employees in eight branches across the capital: it offered its staff counselling for their mental health when they returned to office work over the late summer. 

World Mental Health Day is held annually in October and aims to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and encourage education, awareness, and advocacy against social stigma.

The theme for each year is voted for by a global panel including World Federation of Mental Health members, stakeholders, and supporters. 

The chosen 2021 theme is ‘Mental Health in an Unequal World’, which aims to highlight the unequal access to mental health services across the globe as, between 75 per cent to 95 per cent of people with mental disorders in low- and middle-income countries are unable to access mental health services, and access in high income countries is not much better.

Christie & Co global managing director Darren Bond comments: “We felt it was important to recognise the impact that the last 18 months has had on mental health. Everyone has had their own individual challenges with lockdowns and restrictions, and we plan to acknowledge this by encouraging all of our colleagues to take some dedicated time for themselves.”