• The responsibility of companies to act on mental health, central theme of this edition of the Health and Sustainability Action Group led by Forética.

The Health and Sustainability Action Groupled by Forética and made up of 28 large companies - headed by Chiesi, ASISA Group and Quirónsalud - addresses the integration of mental health into business strategy and the responsibility of companies to act, with the aim of being able to prevent, protect, measure and maximize their positive contribution to the health and well-being of people.

According to the Confederation Mental Health Spain, 1 in 4 people have or will have some mental health problem during their lifetime. Specifically in Spain, it is considered that between 11% and 27% of mental health problems can be attributed to working conditions, according to the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH).

The World Health Organization reminds us that the world economy loses around one trillion dollars a year in productivity due to anxiety and depression alone. In fact, the total cost of mental health problems in Spain is 4.2% of GDP (approximately 45,000 million euros). According to McKinsey estimates, investing in employee mental health has an economic return for organizations of $4.25 for every dollar invested.

María Ordovás, Manager of the Health and Sustainability Action Group, says: "The workplace has a great impact on people's health and well-being, whether positive - it provides stability, satisfaction and a sense of belonging - or negative, as it is often the cause of factors such as anxiety, stress or frustration. Mental health is one of the great challenges facing companies. A challenge that, if addressed and promoted, brings numerous benefits for both individuals and the organization".

According to the third edition of the 'IBEX 35 Observatory. Health, Well-being and Sustainability in IBEX 35 companies' third edition of Forética's 'IBEX 35 Observatory. by Forética -recently published within the framework of the Action Group- in 2021, 70% of the companies analyzed had some specific program on mental health for their employees, compared to 36% in 2020. The fact that this figure has doubled in just one year shows the growing importance that Spanish companies are attaching to caring for the mental health of their employees.

The 'Health and Sustainability Action Group', led by Chiesi, ASISA Group and Quirónsalud, also has a group of participating companies: Accenture, Alsea, AstraZeneca, CAPSA Food, Cellnex, ENAIRE, Grupo Antolín, GSK, Holcim, Ibercaja, Iberdrola, ILUNION, Johnson & Johnson, Lilly, Mahou San Miguel, Microsoft, MSD, Navantia, Redeia, Sanitas, SENASA, Vithas, Santander, Solvay and Tüv Rheinland.

The second annual meeting of the Action Group organized by Forética was attended by the Director General of Labor of the Community of Madrid, and Manager of the Regional Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Silvia Marina Parra, who addressed the importance of the link between work and mental health and the need for joint action by companies and public administrations to address this challenge.

Through a practical workshop, the companies that are part of the Action Group have been provided with the key tools to ensure that the integration of mental health in their strategies is as complete and effective as possible, so that they can have a real positive impact on the emotional health and well-being of their employees.

About the Health and Sustainability Action Group

The Health and Sustainability Action Group is the business meeting point for leadership, knowledge and dialogue to value health and wellness as a fundamental axis of corporate sustainability.

The Group has focused its third edition in 2022 mainly on deepening the 'health footprint' of companies from two angles: the impact on the health of their employees, with a focus on mental health; and the business contribution to the health of its customers and consumers through an offer of healthy products and services. Within the framework of the III Business Forum: Health and Sustainable Development (SDG 3), the report 'Health and Wellness 2030: Exploring the scope of companies' health footprint' was presented at the 3rd Business Forum: Health and Sustainable Development (SDG 3)..

The Group worked in its second edition on the link between climate change and human health, identifying four levers to guide companies towards a more integrated action of these two aspects as part of their sustainability strategy, as highlighted in the report 'Health and Wellness 2030: Integration in business strategy. Climate Change and Health. The new frontier of sustainability'.

During the first year of work, the Group focused on analyzing the business case for health and sustainability in order to identify a roadmap for the integration of SDG 3 into the organizations' strategy.