This year has seen much greater and very welcome stability return to the oil and gas industry, thanks in no small part to a reduction in oil price volatility that has plagued the sector in recent years.
Volatility in prices and, in turn, production is inevitably reflected in employment figures, especially as this followed a period of tremendous growth.
The most recent peak in employment was in 2014, but that contracted to 380,000 just one year later and 280,000 by 2017.
But last year saw a slight upturn in employment in the UK oil and gas sector, in line with a 4% increase in production, as the industry continues to improve its competitive position.
But despite all of the operational turmoil the sector has been forced to endure, it is encouraging to note that many companies have continued to demonstrate their willingness to mirror broader societal trends within their businesses.
One that has undoubtedly had a huge impact is the ever growing focus on mental health and wellbeing.
This is particularly relevant to a sector in which large swathes of its employee population work under intense pressure, often away from home for long periods and in challenging and isolated conditions.
What are oil and gas companies in the UK doing to better support their people, their most valuable assets?
We have seen a significant increased uptake in counselling, psychotherapy and wellbeing programmes taking a lead in many organisations.
We have seen an increase in being called on to support our clients with health promotion, mental health first aid training, and wellbeing and resilience training.
By delivering wellbeing and resilience training, employers are empowering their people with greater self-awareness of their own mental health while helping them to better respond to stressful situations.
At work, this ensures they can continue to do their job well and deliver when needed, but it can prove invaluable in their personal lives too.
This is particularly relevant at this time of year. While Christmas can be a joyful time of year for many, to some it can be very difficult, bringing stress and anxiety.
It can increase feelings of isolation and loneliness. Overspending can be a problem and drinking more alcohol can make symptoms of mental health problems worse.
Our clients have been encouraged to utilise our tools to identify gaps within their organisations so that together we can develop the right wellbeing and resilience solutions for them.
Undoubtedly a lot of these tools are already in place, but as companies look for a more focused health agenda for their workforce and less of a piecemeal solution, it is vital to ensure these tools are joined together to form a cohesive, holistic solution.
This additional support and training is being delivered both onshore and offshore and our growing headcount of medics are being targeted as key.
As such they are rebalancing the focus away from administrative tasks and assuming a greater, and ultimately far more valuable, clinical focus.
As we edge closer to 2020, it’s clear that the health and wellbeing is no fad or temporary trend.
The value of looking after and supporting employees has been well documented and the oil and gas sector shows no signs of diverting from this important path.
Our continuous improvement agenda is an intrinsic thread that runs through our business.
This means our Aberdeen centre of excellence and innovation will always look to find new ways to support offshore occupational healthcare and, as a result, the oil and gas industry as a whole.
Louise Slaney is medical director at Iqarus.
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