Currently, Saffron Building Society offers initiatives such as regular mental health drop-in sessions run by Saffron’s eight mental health first aiders, the opportunity for all managers to complete mental health training with First Aid England, a comprehensive employee assistance programme, and events such as ‘bring your dog to work’ day that are aimed at improving mental health and wellbeing.
As part of the mental health charter, organisations will develop mental health awareness among employees with activities and advocacy, encourage open conversations and offer good work conditions that encourage work-life balance and development opportunities
Companies will also promote effective management through line managers to ensure physical and mental wellbeing is a focus, monitor mental health internally, and have a named contact for mental health.
The MIMHC was launched in 2020 as a non-profit collaboration by Crystal Specialist Finance, Coreco, Chartwell Mortgage Services, Landbay, The Brightstar Group, Knowledge Bank and SimplyBiz Mortgages.
It has launched industry surveys to offer a snapshot of mortgage industry mental health, set up a fantasy football league in August and created a steering group to oversee ongoing development.
The charter confirmed at the end of January that it had reached over 100 signatories, with Habito being its latest signatory.
Tony Hall (pictured), head of business development at Saffron for Intermediaries, said: “While the impact of higher interest rates and the cost-of-living crisis on borrowers over the last year have been widely acknowledged, the wellbeing challenges faced by mortgage professionals are much less talked about, but just as relevant.
“At Saffron, we pride ourselves on being a happy place to work, and supporting mental wellbeing is at the centre of that. However, our decision to sign the charter isn’t just about being there for our own employees, but supporting the wellbeing of mortgage professionals across the sector.
“We hope that by increasing awareness and talking about these all too often taboo topics, we can encourage more industry stakeholders to work together to make our industry an enjoyable and rewarding place to work for everyone.”
