Mental Health Initiative Breaks Down Barriers
Pictured (L-R): Mark O’Sullivan, Tax Partner; Laura Donohoe, Finance; Michael Jackson, Managing Partner; Josie McManus, Practice Area Marketing; Brent Pope, Founder of Elephant in the Room Movement and Lorraine Roche, Director of HR.
Matheson has unveiled the name and design of its Elephant in the Room, following an internal competition in which Matheson employees were invited to contribute their suggestions, along with a brief explanation of the meaning behind their ideas.
The winning name, created by Josie McManus (Practice Area Marketing) has been announced as OTTO, an acronym for Openly Talking Together Often.
The winning design, created by Laura Donohoe (Finance), comprises sections which each represent how full, busy and sometimes messy our minds can be but, that we are all in it together. Laura also incorporated Matheson’s five values of Partnership, Respect, Innovation, Diversity and Entrepreneurship.
We were delighted to welcome Brent Pope to our Dublin offices for the official unveiling. Brent shared his own experiences and mental health journey, as well as the importance of continued commitment to supporting mental health in the workplace and fostering a culture that supports candid conversations in a supportive environment.
By placing the four-foot elephant sculpture in our offices, OTTO will act as a physical reminder of the invisible challenges that individuals may face in their daily lives and the need for open and impactful conversations around wellbeing in the workplace.
Commenting on the partnership, Michael Jackson, Managing Partner at Matheson, said: I am delighted and proud to be present at the unveiling of our chosen Elephant in the Room name and design. Together and individually, they reflect the firm's dedication to promoting a supportive and inclusive environment for all. The Elephant in the Room is a powerful movement which encourages everyone to talk about their mental health openly, without judgement or discrimination, and aligns with our desire at Matheson to continue to focus on supporting everyone in the firm in an inclusive and appropriate way.”
“Congratulations again to our chosen winners and thank you to all of those who submitted entries. It was great to see the tremendous interest and creativity in the submissions for such an important initiative. It’s clear that the elephant has already got people talking and has captured people’s imaginations. Thank you also to the Impactful Business Programme Committee, who continue to coordinate and promote our Mindful Business activities.”
Lorraine Roche, Director of HR at Matheson, said: “Shining a light on the significance of meaningful mental health and wellbeing resources in the workplace is an important aspect of our people strategy and underpins many of our existing policies which are designed to support all of our colleagues across the firm. Gathering together presented us with a great opportunity to explore mental health advocacy and discuss the positive impacts of raising mental health awareness.”
Matheson’s employee wellbeing initiatives, including mental health, are a key pillar under the firm’s Impactful Business Programme. This comprises Matheson’s inclusive policies as well as wellbeing resources such as an Employee Assistance Programme; onsite wellbeing coach; and Matheson Mindful Day, which provides employees with an opportunity to switch off from work for a day to recharge. Matheson is a founding signatory to the Mindful Business Charter, the set of best practice, behavioural principles to tackle and reduce avoidable stress in the workplace.
In May of this year, Matheson announced its partnership with Elephant in the Room, the global mental health awareness campaign which uses art as a channel to break down barriers and encourage conversations about a topic that often goes unspoken.
Matheson is the first law firm in Ireland to partner with the Elephant in the Room organisation, and this initiative shines a spotlight on the importance of mental health and wellbeing within the workplace. Following the launch, employees of Matheson were invited to participate in a competition to contribute their ideas of a design for the elephant, along with a brief explanation of the meaning behind their concept as well as a name for the sculpture.
