FORMER England rugby union player and TV sports analyst Will Greenwood is the latest sporting celebrity to back Legal and General’s “Not a Red Card” campaign.

The financial services company, with huge offices in Hove, launched the scheme to tackle the stigma surrounding mental health in the workplace.

It encourages businesses to take action to protect their employees’ mental health.

While the focus of 2017 was to get employers and staff talking about mental health, the 2018 campaign aims to take this a step further and encourage employers to take action and put into place solutions.

As part of this, Legal and General is hosting its inaugural Not A Red Card mental health awards on October 30.

This will celebrate businesses which have developed and implemented best practices.

The insurer will also be teaming up with expert partners such as Mind and City Mental Health Alliance to deliver a range of resources that provide information to employers on how they can create effective strategies.

Will Greenwood, former international rugby union player said: “I know from personal experience that mental illness doesn’t discriminate, it affects people of all ages and backgrounds across the UK.

“Despite the good work that has been done, there is still a stigma attached to discussing mental health issues in the workplace.

“We need to drive change and ensure that people feel comfortable talking openly and honestly about their mental health, in the same way they’d discuss their physical health.

“I’m proud to be involved with the ‘Not A Red Card’ campaign and to use this platform to make a difference and ensure people have the support they need, when they need it the most.”

Nigel Wilson, CEO at Legal and General, said: “The importance of encouraging both employers and employees to open up about mental health issues and tackling the stigma associated with them cannot be overstated.

“Businesses have a key role to play in changing attitudes around mental health in the workplace and ensuring the wellbeing of their employees.

“Through our ‘Not A Red Card’ campaign, we want to encourage business leaders to take action in building robust mental health strategies.

“At Legal and General, our aim is to develop a positive culture of good mental health and wellbeing throughout the organisation.

“It’s fantastic to have the support of so many sports champions as we continue in our aim to normalise conversations around mental health.”

A survey from Legal and General’s 2017 forum found that 48 per cent of business leaders didn’t feel their employees would confide in a colleague if they were struggling with their own mental wellbeing.

This was despite 84 per cent saying that mental health has personally impacted their performance at work.

However, the desire to do more around mental health in the workplace is highlighted by 38 per cent of business leaders saying their organisation already has clear policies and tools in place to support employee mental wellbeing.

Another 23 per cent said that even though they didn’t have a mental health strategy now, they were looking to create something in the next 12 months.

By using the power of sport and iconic sports stars to share their own experiences with mental illness, Legal and General hopes to make positive steps towards reducing the stigma often associated with mental health by promoting open discussion.

Legal and General is one of the leading financial services groups.

It was founded in 1836 and last year it provided life protection for more than four million individuals.