Linnaeus has announced that all employees will have access to mental health support through more than 100 mental health first aiders.
The veterinary group, which is part of Mars Petcare, has more than 120 primary care and referral centre sites across the UK, all of which have been impacted by the current lockdown and social distancing measures in light of the nationwide lockdown.
Last year, the group partnered with Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA) to provide a large number of volunteers with an accredited training course.
The MHFA course trains people to “identify the signs of mental ill health, to break down the stigma and barriers surrounding mental health and listen to colleagues in a non-judgemental way”, as well as directs people to available support and guidance.
Linnaeus is now ensuring those first aiders can provide crucial support to all its employees during the ongoing crisis.
Linnaeus chief operating officer, Emma Barnes, said: “Linnaeus has always strived to be a leader in mental health support and we take the emotional, mental and physical wellbeing of our employees extremely seriously.
“The veterinary industry has always been a fast-paced and, at times, a stressful environment. This can obviously be amplified in the current circumstances, when we are all being affected by such huge differences in our day-to-day work and life.”
She added: “With our practices all operating in a very different capacity, it’s more important now than ever that we continue to provide support to every one of our employees.
“We will continue to offer as much support and help as our valued employees require throughout these very strange times and beyond. We are all in this together.”
As well as providing access to mental health first aiders, Linnaeus also provides tools such as a ‘stress container’ programme, which helps staff identify how to understand and address stress levels in the industry.
