Speight's becomes Meight's for mental health

One of New Zealand's best-known alcohol brands - Speight's - is giving staff a free "Happy Hour" to spend with their "Meight's" for mental health awareness.

Lion New Zealand is one of the biggest employers to take part in Movember - the moustache growing movement dedicated to men's health - and facial hair.

For the month of November the company is giving workers time off - and they have cleverly rebranded their popular Speight's logo to read Meight's for the occasion.

Kris Hansen and Jack Halpin from Speight's were proud to be involved with Movember and said both "stood for looking after your mates and honouring good men."

"If it's okay for Speight's, one of New Zealand's biggest and more manly beer brands, to talk about men's mental health issues then it can hopefully show it is ok for all Kiwis," Hansen said.

The company was producing a Speight's and Movember Tee-shirt with Meight's printed on the front.

These can be purchased online, in Speight's Ale Houses and at the Brewery with all proceeds going to the Movember Foundation.

The company is also giving out free fries at Speight's Ale Houses during happy hour for mates that come in to catch up face to face- all they have to do is show their phones are switched off.

The wider Lion company was also involved with Movember and was hosting speakers and holding a "Brunch Hour" so workmates could catch up over food.

The company was also promoting LionFlex - more flexible hours so people could spend more time with family and friends.

Robin Davies, the People and Culture Director at Lion said the company was big on mental health support outside November as well.

As well as an on-site gym, bootcamps and yoga the company had paid cousellors available and other mental health support.

"We've also just introduced BestMe Buddies to open up more communication channels for our people," she said.

"They might not always feel confident speaking with their leader, so we want to ensure there are a number of people within our business they can email, have a coffee with, call or chat to whenever they need it."

This year the Movember charity has the bold goal to reduce suicide in men by 25 percent.

New Zeland's suicide statistics are among the worst in the world.

According to the Chief Coroner's Report released at the end of last year, in 2018, 668 New Zealanders took their lives.

475 of these were men.

Movember Foundation NZ Country Manager Robert Dunne was encouraged by the conversations companies were having about men's mental health.

"Some businesses are really pro-active and do a lot for mental health," Dunne told YUDU.

"A few years ago it was really hard to have these conversations and now people are a lot more open."

Dunne encouraged businesses to let staff finish early at some stage during November so they could make time for their mental health.

"Some might let staff finish an hour earlier each day or just once a week for the month," he said.

"They might arrange something at work for them or they might encourage them to get away from work."

To find out what your workplace is doing for Movember just ask - or search here to get involved https://nz.movember.com/