by Gareth Cross
The local council this week agreed to support employees dealing with mental health problems and called on other Derry businesses to do the same.
Derry City and Strabane District Council have agreed to become signatories of the Mental Health Charter for employers and service providers.
The decision was taken at a meeting of council's Governance and Strategic Planning Committee at the Guildhall this week.
Councillors were told that on Census Day (27th March 2011) there were over 11,000 in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area who has a long term condition relating to an emotional, psychological or mental health condition.
The Charter provides a framework for working towards mentally healthy workplaces and is a voluntary commitment and signatories will undertake to promote good mental health which will be beneficial to Council, its employees and the whole community.
Sinn Fein councillor Caoimhe McKnight said the policy would have benefits for staff relationships and reduce absences.
She asked council to encourage employers across the council area to look at the charter and implementing it to tackle mental health related absences in the workplace.
Cllr McKnight said that the charter could help tackle mental health issues ahead of the next census.
UUP councillor Derek Hussey told the meeting that the wider employment community did not realise the affect that mental well being has on staff.
Alderman Hussey said that the staff who are feeling content will be the ones who turn up for work and are the most productive.
SDLP councillor John Boyle said that ill mental health affected different types of people from different sections of the community.
He told the meeting that different work places pose different challenges and that the charter provided an opportunity to promote better well-being amongst staff.
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