Ānene is launching with a desire to find balance.
A quote was sent to me recently from my friend Jamie:
"Society is collapsing, and people are starting to recognize that the reason they feel like they're mentally ill is that they're living in a system that's not designed to suit the human spirit."-
Russell Brand
As a conscious company we are thinking not about the bottom line alone, don't get me wrong we will be thinking about that - to be sustainable you need to make sure you have enough money to reinvest in the company and pay your staff, particularly if you, as we are intent on paying a living wage.
We are also setting out to bring balance into the lives of our staff (in all honesty the staff is currently just me, but I've got people in the wings waiting for the next stage). We will be working week days 9.30-2.30pm and be flexible on holidays as much as possible.
Without jumping on the soap box too much, I feel like whilst capitalism has made massive transformations in this world - it has done this at the expense of people and planet. We have become so overwhelmed in convenience that we have stripped people of their rights, and those of the family unit (we've stripped the planet too but that is another story).
As a female entrepreneur and mother of young children I see so many of us walking in a vacuum of life where we're all striving to find the right balance for our career aspirations, to maintain our own identity, the lives we aspire too, and somewhere in the middle provide our partners and children the love and support they need - and this melting pot of needs creates it's own stresses, strains and imbalances.
According to the charity Mind UK - 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year and In England, 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (such as anxiety and depression) in any given week.
As a conscious fashion label supporting mental health as health, we will be endeavouring to give back a sense of self to our employees, current and future. As part of that commitment 10% of profit will go to Place2Be a Charity that provides mental health support to children.
Shorter working hours are not exclusive to Ānene, there is an increasing number of studies showing shorter working hours and/or shorter work weeks can contribute to the following benefits:
- Improved well-being with less stress
- Eased burden on families and childcare
- Lower Carbon Footprint
- More time for family, friends and experiences
- More productive employees
- Lower staff turnover
So it's here where we start, with people at the core of our business in a hope that we can build something that creates balance for our employees, delivering so much more than just the bottom line.
Just a wave to say hello.
At the London Lean Startup night, we’re having a mental health workshop on 25th September, where Christina Richardson will be sharing her research about entrepreneurs and also sharing tips about how not to end up as one of her statistics. It’s an evening event, but we are child friendly.
Mark
Hi Brig.
I just wanted say well done on the decision you have made. There would be very few people untouched by mental illness (which makes you wonder why it was ever so stigmatised) and anything we can all do to break the stigma and assist – REALLY assist people with skills to live happier healthier lives has to be good.
Hope all is well with you and continued success.
Tim K