January can be a challenging month, when people often feel flat after the excitement of Christmas, so Go North East colleagues have looked ahead to see what they can do on Monday 18 January, which is dubbed ‘Blue Monday’.
This year, it will inevitably be even more challenging with the third national lockdown now in place, and New Year blues may be at their worst, so the bus operator is looking to help.
Go North East is encouraging its team members to dress as colourfully as they possibly can, in an attempt to lift the spirits of both their colleagues and customers.
Internally, the bus company is additionally continuing efforts to support the mental health and wellbeing of colleagues, including highlighting its Employee Assistance Programme, where they can access online and telephone counselling and support on a range of topics, such as stress and anxiety, financial wellbeing and relationship issues.
The company’s One Team GNE mental health and wellbeing champions are also looking ahead to the national ‘Time to Talk Day’ on 4 February with a series of further activities being planned.
Martijn Gilbert, managing director at Go North East, said: “We know January can often be a month where people can be at their lowest, so we’re encouraging this light-hearted initiative to try and put smiles on people’s faces on ‘Blue Monday’.
“This follows on from all of our activities in the build-up to Christmas, and during earlier lockdowns, and we hope people can join us in trying to make the best of what is a difficult time for many people across the region and beyond.”
To find out more about Go North East, visit www.gonortheast.co.uk.