Globally Committed to Mental Wellbeing

The week of October 4 – 10 is recognized as Mental Health Awareness week with October 10 being World Mental Health Day, as observed by the World Health Organization.

It’s a week and day to shed light on mental health issues that affect people across the globe and collectively campaign for positive change around this important health crisis.

Jabil employees around the world are actively demonstrating their continued commitment to building an inclusive culture at work and helping their peers and communities feel mentally stronger.

EDUCATE Yourself & Others

Raul Aceves, environmental, health and safety engineer and emotional health coordinator, has been leading the mental health movement at our Guadalajara site since 2008. Having received both a Master’s degree in Strategic Management for Quality and a Master’s in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Raul is fully equipped to serve his peers both on and off the production floor.

The emotional health program at Jabil Guadalajara has been spearheaded by Raul and includes one-on-one sessions for all employees, whether they work on the shop floor or in an office. In the last six months alone, this program has provided services to more than 400 employees who were struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and more.

Raul works with three psychologists on site to bring the best care to our employees. They’ve also designed courses and webinars for employees to learn more about mental health whether they’re going through it themselves, know someone who has a mental health condition, or simply want to be more aware and inclusive.

Since April of this year, they’ve reached almost 1,000 employees through these educational programs.

"Inside the Cultural Transformation," the latest program launched at the site, involves passionate employees who help positively shift the culture and stigma around mental health by talking about it with their peers and promoting the Emotional Health Services program.

Focusing on education, Raul is changing the lives of Jabil employees by starting the important conversations, encouraging others to speak out if they’re struggling and creating a welcoming culture for those with mental health conditions to be their true selves at work.

In typical fashion, he has learning recommendations for those who want to educate themselves on the topic: Resilience and Mental Health: Challenges Across the Lifespan by Steven M. Southwick. Brett T. Litz, Dennis Charney, and Matthew J. Friedman.

DEVELOP Mindfulness 

Aleksandra Stadler, regional talent acquisition manager located in our Mezzovico, Switzerland, site, uses her personal passion to work by helping educate and motivate her teammates to practice mindfulness - the ability to bring your thoughts to the present moment.

“Our mind gallops forward at all times, but by being mindful, we can center our attention and emotions in a healthier way,” Aleksandra shares. “In an industry like manufacturing, it’s easy to understand how our thoughts are always racing ahead of us onto to the next challenge or opportunity. So, for us, it’s even more of a reason to learn this practice.”

She received her certification in yoga and mindfulness beginning of 2019. What brought her to that point? Aleksandra “was so petrified of public speaking that I wanted to overcome this fear while delivering a positive message to my audience.”  

This also demonstrated how the practice can relate to work-related skills and abilities. Research shows there are many benefits of mindfulness at work because it helps people act with more intention and reduces problematic emotional reactions, lowering stress and burnout. It also can help someone overcome a fear of presenting in front of an audience, as proven by Aleksandra!

Namaste.

CONNECT Through Shared Experiences

From safety and well-being, to empowerment and recognition, Jabil prides itself in supporting its employees and making sure they are given a safe space and the right tools to take care of and support themselves.

In 2019, Catherine Chen and her team at Shenzhen Plastics created a project called “Beat The Crisis” that was centered around employees’ mental health. When asked why mental health is important to her, Catherine mentioned her personal struggles and how her company and colleagues empowered her to make a change to make sure she felt like her best self. “I was originally a very outgoing person, but I suddenly found myself becoming very depressed. Because of my heavy workload, the thought of suicide just crossed my mind and I realized that this is a very serious problem,” she says. “I hope to use my own experience to help employees work happily and realize the importance of a work and life balance.”

“Beat The Crisis” focused on employees’ mental health through individual assessments, and programs with counselors to help employees handle the stresses of work life, personal life, and help determine a clear career path. Psychological counselors helped employees deal with work stress and negative emotions through games and verbal communication. It proved to be successful with employees reporting significantly lower stress levels and a healthier work-life balance.

In hopes of reaching others and encouraging them to take care of themselves, “Beat The Crisis” has been featured on internal employee websites with tools on how to replicate and implement the program at their own site, with some sites already taking action towards replication. 

Through site-led programs to company-wide reach and resources for mental health, Jabil and its employees have proven to continuously work towards being there for one another and live up to the culture of putting people first.