Lighting of the dome at Old Mutual International’s landmark headquarters in Onchan was switched to green to mark Mental Health Awareness Week.

During the week the company also hosted a workshop on stress identification and management delivered by a team from the Lisa Lowe Centre.

And employees were encouraged to wear green ribbons to show their support for mental health awareness.

Old Mutual International, one of the largest financial services employers in the Isle of Man with more than 450 staff, is the international arm of Quilter plc.

Mental Health Awareness Week activities took place across Quilter plc.

Peter Kenny, chief executive at Old Mutual International, thanked the Lisa Lowe Centre team for taking the time to come and share practical advice with colleagues on how to identify and manage stress.

He said: ’Mental Health Awareness Week is an opportunity for everyone in the business to talk about this very important issue. Activities here in the island, and internationally across Quilter plc, are part of a long-term strategy to ensure everyone feels supported with their wellbeing. Last year Quilter plc signed a ’’Time to Change’’ pledge to demonstrate a commitment to reduce the stigma and silence around mental health in the workplace.

’This week we have been encouraging everyone to take 10 minutes to talk to colleagues.

’It doesn’t have to be specifically about mental health, it’s about encouraging people to find 10 minutes to chat, get to know a colleague better, or simply ask ’’are you OK?’’

’Creating opportunities for these one-to-one talks can start conversations that create connections which can make a big difference, which in some cases can be life changing.

’We’re creating an environment in which employees and the business can thrive.’

Across Quilter plc there’s also a ’Thrive’ programme available to all employees which focuses on four key areas that can help anyone to improve their mental wellbeing, energy levels, and resilience - namely, physical health, emotional and mental wellbeing, social interaction, and financial health.

Old Mutual International’s HQ in Onchan features a ’Thrive Hub’ which is a bright, modern, open area created to provide an ideal space where colleagues can relax and chat, meet for a coffee or lunch, hold informal meetings, and find useful information about health related initiatives and activities.

A wide variety of activities are led by the company’s ’Thrive Ambassadors’, and employees are also given a ’Thrive Toolkit’ packed with information and tips - such as how to spot early warning signs about stress or other health and wellbeing issues that they, or colleagues in their team, might be experiencing. The idea is to give employees the skills and knowledge they need to spot any potential problems so issues can be addressed at the earliest possible opportunity.