Headspace is inviting companies to learn more about the mental health burdens of employees with their Be Kind to Your Mind pledge in honour of World Mental Health Day on October 10th.

So far, over 600 organisations have signed the pledge, including BP, Publicis, Morgan Stanley, Hyatt, Aviva and Snap, and have all committed to the shared responsibility of their teams’ mental health, and demanding a greater investment in mental health for all.

With their Colleague Wellbeing Council, Hyatt has a history of investing in their teams’ mental health. “Wellbeing is at the core of our purpose – to care for people so they can be their best – and a true point of difference for Hyatt,” said Malaika Myers, Hyatt Chief Human Resources Officer.

“When Hyatt first teamed up with Headspace in January, we knew how important it was to make mindfulness and meditation content accessible to help employees, guests, and customers prioritise their wellbeing. With 2020 proving to be an exceptional year with unexpected challenges, now, more than ever, prioritising our wellbeing is paramount. We can only care for others if we take care of our own mental, emotional and physical wellbeing first.”

Ahead of World Mental Health Day, Headspace surveyed thousands of employees around their mental and emotional wellbeing in May and again in September.

While research showed some great initial responses by leaders and companies, many more employees feel less supported now than earlier in the crisis. Since May 2020, employee belief that mental health and wellbeing was a priority in their organisation fell by 12%.

As employees feel less supported as time goes on, the Headspace “Be Kind to Your Mind” pledge encourages prioritising employee wellbeing beyond just World Mental Health Day. To help support leaders and companies, Headspace is sharing a toolkit with educational resources and tactics to keep the spotlight on mindfulness for the next year. In the coming months, Headspace will provide additional guidance on how to continuously invest in employees’ wellbeing with companies who sign the pledge.

Supporting companies investing in employee wellbeing is an all-year-round commitment by Headspace.

“Advocating for mental health is part of our DNA as a company committed to improving the health and happiness of the world,” said CeCe Morken, Headspace President and Chief Operating Officer.

“We’re incredibly grateful and proud to join with our partner companies to keep this important conversation going by normalising care and compassion for ourselves and others.”

Leading by example, Headspace has rolled out an every-other-Friday companywide mental health day called MINDays to support Headspace employees in taking time for themselves. Fridays in between MINDays are mandated ‘no meeting days,’ so the team can have time to focus. Each day, all employees have two mindful breaks scheduled on their calendars at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. so they can participate in a team-wide group meditation, take a walk, have a rest or take time for themselves.