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The Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) has reinforced its commitment to supporting the wellbeing of staff and members for Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 by advising the accounting community on anxiety, stress and burnout.
This comes as the theme for the awareness week this year is anxiety. The association is helping members and staff understand it and how to prevent it from having an unwanted impact by continuing a line of “strong” work around mental health.
Within AAT staff, there are currently eight ‘Wellbeing Champions’ who have received Mental Health First Aid training and can provide support to colleagues experiencing various mental health concerns.
AAT’s focus on wellbeing is also reflected in the organisation’s most recent Best Companies survey score in 2022, in which wellbeing was one of the association’s best performing areas with a score of 5.1 out of six.
In addition, in its most recent internal staff survey published in August 2022, staff said they felt they had a healthy work-life balance with a score of 3.9 out of five. They also felt that their manager would be quick to respond if they showed signs of being under too much pressure (4.3 out of five) and that AAT supports their health and wellbeing (four out of five).
Adam Harper, director of professional standards and policy at AAT, said: “We recognise the importance of employee wellbeing, which is why we place a key focus on creating a positive workplace culture. We also listen to the feedback we receive on our initiatives from our colleagues so that we can continue to improve the support we provide.
“We encourage our members and employees to share their own mental health and wellbeing experiences so that as a community we can continue to learn from, and support, each other.”
Lucy Cohen, co-founder of Mazuma Accountants and AAT council member, said: “I’ve experienced my own struggles with anxiety and depression, which were particularly highlighted during the pandemic. However, I’ve found that when I share my experiences, hundreds of people come forward to tell me theirs.
“I’m grateful that AAT has given me that platform to speak out and help raise awareness of these important issues in our community. Knowing you’re not alone in feeling that way is helpful – it makes the experience less isolating and stigmatised.”
