Mental Health with Matthew Ezard
Meet Matthew Ezard, a Food Service Director at one of our corporate accounts in Mississauga, Ontario, and a mental health champion! Matthew’s Sodexo career started 13 years ago in a managerial role, however, his first job at Sodexo was during high school in Nova Scotia, in catering and retail.
He appreciates that Sodexo provides opportunities for employees to grow, adapt and hone skills that will support their careers. Also, he likes to be able to collaborate with other Sodexo employees in various departments which makes him value what happens behind the scenes. He is passionate about food, nutrition and wellness and he believes he is in a career that suits his skill set and personality. No matter what segment he’s working in – Campus, Healthcare or Corporate Services – food touches many people and he is proud to work in food operations.
For Matthew, the COVID-19 pandemic has opened the door for more discussion on the mental health front. These unprecedented times have provided a unique situation in revaluating mental health and having an increased awareness around wellness.
Why support Mental Health?
Matthew has always been aware of and wants to advocate for mental health. He has consistently maintained an open-door policy whenever managing employees and making himself available to team members in need.
Similarly, he takes time to communicate honestly and openly with his direct managers. In doing so, he builds mutual respect and a safe environment for the discussion of mental health. According to him, it’s important to create a safe space for people to have honest conversations. Because, at the end of the day, we are a “work family”.
Matthew says:
“In my experience at Sodexo, I’ve been able to have honest conversations with people whom I report to, and it’s been reciprocated very well.”
Sodexo and Mental Health - A Step in the Right Direction
Even before the pandemic, mental health has been gaining more traction in the workplace. We understand more than ever that it is just as critical as physical health and now that it is front and center- it must remain there.
According to Matthew, what is unique about Sodexo is that every committee and group values our employees from a different aspect. Moreover, these groups are encouraged by Sodexo’s leadership. Consequently, the participants feel supported by their leaders to participate, and they make sure their employees are well looked after – and it would not be different with the Mental Health Committee.
When Matthew saw the Stamp Out Stigma campaign, he knew it was a great thing for Sodexo to implement, working on destigmatizing what mental health means to some people and he was ready to get on board. He reached out to his supervisor before applying for the Mental Health Committee which she thought was a great idea and that Matthew would be an asset to the group. Now, he’s eager to further promote that growth within Sodexo.
Matthew says:
“It’s so important to talk about mental health, especially now. We need to ask these questions – Are we looking after ourselves? Are we looking after our people?”