Aileen Evans, Group Chief Executive of Grand Union Housing Group, has been honoured in the InsideOut LeaderBoard 2020 for championing mental ill-health issues in the workplace.
Individuals on the list were selected by InsideOut on the basis of nominations solicited from across the spectrum of business sectors. The list is #Smashingthestigma surrounding mental ill-health in the workplace and recognising business leaders who are open about their own personal battles.
Aileen said: “I know first-hand just how important it is to promote mental health awareness in the workplace. Members of my close family, like so many others, have experienced poor mental health and I’m committed to challenging the stigma and creating an open culture around mental health, especially at work.
“I was shocked that, according to the Chartered Institute of Building, 1 in 4 construction workers have contemplated suicide. This is an area of work so closely associated with housing and it is simply not acceptable.
“As president of the Chartered Institute of Housing, I chose MIND charity as my presidential campaign. I’m determined to help raise funds for this vital charity, whose support services help to save lives.”
The InsideOut LeaderBoard list has grown to 110 senior leaders in 2020 from Facebook, Barclays, Deloitte, PwC, National Grid, Gympass, Starbucks and TUI Group among others.
InsideOut is a social enterprise launched by Rob Stephenson in 2017 following the Stevenson-Farmer report. Rob, who experiences bipolar disorder himself, is a global campaigner and international keynote speaker regarding breaking the stigma of mental illhealth in the workplace. InsideOut has identified that every year over 300,000 people lose their job due to mental ill-health, costing the UK economy £99bn.
Commenting on the list, Rob said: “The InsideOut LeaderBoard demonstrates that mental illhealth exists at all levels within the workplace, even in the boardroom. Our aim is to reduce stigma by supporting people to be open and honest about their mental health. I am delighted that our list of 42 role models in 2019 has added the experiences of 68 new individuals in
2020, more than doubling our total number of LeaderBoard champions.
“By sharing their experiences they will encourage their employees to be open about their feelings.”
