TOCO joins global business collaboration for better workplace mental health

The Oman Construction Company (TOCO) has become the first Omani company to join The Global Business Collaboration for Better Workplace Mental Health Pledge.

The Global Business Collaboration for Better Workplace Mental Health is the first global business-led initiative of its kind designed to advocate for and accelerate positive change for mental health in the workplace.

By joining other visionary leaders around the globe, TOCO hopes to help effect real change in the way that mental health is approached in workplaces everywhere.

Led by the founding partners – Unilever, Deloitte, HSBC, BHP, Salesforce, Clifford Chance, BP and WPP – The Global Business Collaboration for Better Workplace Mental Health’s vision is to create a world where all workplace leaders recognise, have the right tools, and commit to take tangible and evidence-based action on mental health and well-being in the workplace, enabling their workplace to thrive.

During the first quarter of 2020, TOCO launched the “You are not alone” mental health campaign to support their employees in the context of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Pledging its commitment to The Global Business Collaboration for Better Workplace Mental Health, Mark Dean (General Manager – TOCO), said: “Employees represent a company’s most valuable asset. They demonstrate the values that define our company and are critical to the success of our business. Valuing an employee for more than their output is essential for their wellbeing. Mental health plays a key role in understanding the performance and behaviour our employees given the varying environments they are asked to work in. We were one of the earliest companies to launch such a proactive campaign aimed at workplace mental health. Since then this initiative has been a key element of our HSE campaigns across all our operations.”

Due to the nature of our business, which is often executed in remote desert locations, many of our employees are away from their families for months or even a whole year. Apart from working in the hot desert climate, the oil and gas work environment is generally physically demanding, stressful and hazardous. Our workforce is culturally and religiously diverse and the employees often get to share their rooms with other employees from different cultural backgrounds. All these factors always contributed to the mental and emotional status of the workforce as a whole.

The Covid-19 pandemic has placed an additional burden on an employee’s mental health with concerns on their own health and the health of their family members back home. We believe that the turbulent socio-economic environment is demanding care, counselling and close monitoring of our employees more than ever to ensure they are physically and mentally sound while under our care and assist them in performing their roles to the best they can.”

TOCO places the wellbeing of their employees as a top priority and are encouraged to see leading global organisations come forward to bring this important topic to the forefront of thinking. We are proud and honoured to join hands with The Global Business Collaboration for Better Workplace Mental Health and look forward to implementing the best practices resulting from this coalition and also to positively contribute to this cause wholeheartedly.”

We are delighted to be working closely with The Global Business Collaboration for Better Workplace Mental Health team in spreading awareness about workplace mental health, developing programmes and implementing best practices to improve workplace mental health,” he added.

As the first Omani company to sign up this pledge, we hope to spread the awareness and importance of workplace mental health within the Sultanate, added Mark.