According to the survey conducted by Driving for Better Business, while 32% of companies employing drivers as part of their activities are interested in the mental health of their employees (a rate that rises to 39% in SMEs), only one a quarter of them offer tools or resources to actually monitor and improve it. Yet the suicide rate among this population is 25% higher than the national average, the survey notes. Indeed, overwork, combined with a lack of social interactions and unpredictable working days, has a devastating impact on the well-being of drivers. The campaign led by the organization Driving for Better Business, to encourage employers to protect the mental health of their employees – drivers in high demand given the rise of e-commerce during the pandemic – is supported by the UK government . Driving for Better Business had chosen this year January 18, Blue Monday (name given to the most depressing day of the year according to a British advertising campaign), to increase awareness of mental health. “Our research shows that while there is awareness at the level of company management, there is still work to be done to communicate with employees,” said Simon Turner, who manages the campaign, in the press. For example, Driving for Better Business has partnered with another organization, Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) to produce 20,000 mental health information kits that employers can distribute to their employees. Paul Jackson, psychologist and specialist in overwork risk management, also quoted in the British press, believes that the responsibility is shared between employers and employees. “Employers need to review their operational practices and ensure that drivers have enough time to rest in order to drive safely, while employees need to use the rest opportunities given to them and be sure they are fit. to drive safely, ”he said.
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