Media conglomerate Thomson Reuters will institute a company-wide mental health day on October 9 that will take place on or around World Mental Health Day from now on.
“This year has tested all of us in innumerable ways,” said Steve Hasker, the company’s CEO. “If there’s one thing 2020 has taught us, it’s the value of having the mind-space to deal with the unexpected. It’s important for individuals and it’s important for businesses.”
This announcement is part of the firm’s long-term plan to focus on the mental health of employees. The company also recently added the meditation app Headspace as part of its employee benefits.
Research has indicated that the pandemic has caused mental health problems to spike. In fact, FlexJobs found that 75% of employees are experiencing burnout at work, while Total Brain said that the risk for depression has risen by 102%.
Knowing this, organizations are putting in the extra effort to support and nurture their employees throughout this tumultuous period in history.
For instance, Cisco recently offered employees a mental health day in May, while Google extended Labor Day weekend so employees had more time off.
