Colt's Caroline Griffin Pain discusses mental health at work

Colt Technology Services knows taking care of mental health is just as important as taking care of physical health, and that it's worth investing in. As such, Colt Technology Services has trained 62 mental health first-aiders.

Colt General Counsel, Caroline Griffin Pain, spoke with IT Pro about boosting mental health support in the workplace.

"Not only does mental health training equip managers to recognise and raise concerns with sensitivity, and signpost towards areas of support, it helps change the narrative around how we talk about mental health to remove stigma and create a culture of openness," shares Caroline.

"We feel strongly that organisations like ours must continue training, educating and holding conversations we're not always comfortable with if we're going to truly make a difference."

Promoting employee well-being

"In some industries, such as technology, there can be an old-fashioned view of mental health. Asking for help or expressing concerns about your workload can be seen as a weakness or a lack of commitment to the company. Hustle culture and 24/7 working practices are seen as a virtue at the expense of the individual well-being of employees,” she explains.

“This problem can be particularly acute in a remote workforce where people can feel isolated and compelled to work long hours or through illness. We need to do more to challenge this archaic and unhealthy view of business.”

Building a more diverse workplace

Caroline is General Counsel and Company Secretary at Colt Technology Services and reports directly to Colt CEO, Keri Gilder.

As General Counsel, Caroline holds global responsibility for the Legal and Regulatory teams, the Company Secretariat and the Country Manager organisation.

Caroline is also responsible for Colt’s ESG strategy, including sustainability and diversity and inclusion. Dedicated to building a more diverse workplace, Caroline is a mentor and diversity sponsor, championing inclusivity.

She is also Chairman of the Corporate Compliance Committee, dealing with Whistleblowing and Ethics and is responsible for implementing and monitoring Colt’s anti-bribery programme. Caroline oversees corporate governance at Colt and acts as Secretary to the Board, Audit Committee and Remuneration Committee.

Caroline previously held senior roles at the Reuters joint venture, Radianz, and Rea Brothers Group plc.

She qualified as a solicitor in 1990.

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