The West Midlands Combined Authority is bringing together a range of businesses, councils and sectors for the regional launch of the This Is Me campaign today - Blue Monday, 21 January, which is claimed to be one of the most depressing days of the year.
The campaign supports organisations and their employees to have conversations about mental health to raise awareness, reduce stigma and ultimately change the way people think and act about mental health at work. In doing so, it supports one of the key aims of the Time To Change Employer Pledge, which the council signed up to in December.
It will be launched this morning, with the council and other organisations across the West Midlands being encouraged to turn Blue Monday green. To that end, street lighting in Dudley Street has gone green, in addition to the existing lighting in Deanery Place and Wulfruna Street. Lights in the atrium at the Civic Centre have also be turned green in support.
Councillor Hazel Malcolm, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: "By supporting the This is Me campaign, we are making a further commitment to raise awareness of - and challenge the stigma and discrimination around - mental health problems.
"Looking after the mental health of employees makes business sense because tackling stigma can make a real difference to sickness absence rates and staff retention, wellbeing and productivity.
"It's a win-win for everyone, and I would encourage other employers in Wolverhampton, large and small, to join us in supporting the campaign."
The council's Managing Director Tim Johnson added: "The health and wellbeing of our employees is a key priority for the council, and we are very happy to support the This is Me campaign, which reinforces the positive message of the Time To Change pledge which we made last month to support mental health and wellbeing in the workplace."