H&E Rentals has introduced a mental health and hope training module to shed light on the current mental health crisis and provide information and resources for both their own employees and other companies in the equipment rental industry who could benefit from the information. This training is one of the first of its kind in the equipment rental industry and was developed by H&E Learning with the help of the nation’s leading mental health advocates and experts, including the Huntsman Family Foundation, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Health Action Alliance, American Psychiatric Association Foundation and others.
In a heartfelt message to H&E employees at the launch, CEO Brad Barber said, “When I say nothing is more important to me than the health and safety of our employees, I mean it. H&E is still a family environment, and that culture can only continue if we take the time to care for each other’s needs and look for ways to provide support.”
“Unfortunately, many of us received a wake-up call about mental health when one of our friends and leaders died by suicide. This individual was loved and respected by those he led and interacted with on a daily basis. He was very successful in his work and he and his team were making great progress. To say we were shocked would be a massive understatement.”
Since then, Barber and others in the local community as well as the rental industry have worked specifically to address various areas of mental health, including tackling the harmful stigma that prevents people with mental health issues from seeking and accepting help.
“When it comes to something this important, there is no competition in the industry. We are excited to be able to share all the information we have collected and the mental health training we have developed,” Barber said.
Through H&E’s Learning Management System, the module was assigned to all employees – now almost 3,000 in number – as part of the company’s required annual training. Announcing the new training, Barber said: “The information will educate and train you so that you are more informed about mental health and are able to help yourself or help others in crisis situations.” For some of you, this could be the most important 15 minutes of exercise you will ever receive.”
“Workplace health should be a key focus in all companies – regardless of the size of the organization,” added Christena Huntsman Durham of the Huntsman Family Foundation. “It leads to good results for productivity and, more importantly, for the people who make companies successful: the employees. I am very grateful to H&E for developing training and resources that everyone can benefit from.”
Anyone interested in offering this training to their employees can view the course slides and other resources online at community-awareness.com.. For further information please contact (email protected).
Additional resources:
Article from the American Rental Association
https://news.ararental.org/mental-health-issues-affect-many
American Rental Association Lunch & Learn video
https://news.ararental.org/ara-lunch-learn-why-mental-health-and-wellness-awareness-matters-1
