"Mental health is the energy that allows us to go further in our performance and our achievements."
I am Régis Blugeon, Director of Social Affairs for the Saint-Gobain Group and HR Director for all activities in France.
How has the perception of mental health evolved at Saint-Gobain?
Our perception of mental health is that it is central to our policies. With this in mind, we have launched a program called "I take care of myself." There are two dimensions to this program: one focused on prevention and physical health support, and another focused on mental health. Mental health is what gives us the energy, willpower, and commitment that enable us to achieve greater performance and success.
Why is mental health a strategic issue for Saint-Gobain?
Mental health is at the heart of the Saint-Gobain Group's drive for progress. It's about seeking out positive energy and, in a way, reducing obstacles, blockages, and even stress.
We truly have this dimension, which is one of continuous progress. Where we need to take action is in making mental health a focus of our managerial activities.
What measures are you putting in place to raise awareness of mental health at Saint-Gobain?
In 2022, we launched a program at Saint-Gobain called "I take care of myself." As part of this program, workshops have been set up at our industrial sites, but also in the sectors and regions for our distribution businesses. These workshops focus primarily on the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders, but also on the prevention of what we call psychosocial risks.
We are now launching a new platform called Holivia, which focuses primarily on mental health.
What impact have these actions had on Saint-Gobain's teams and management culture?
We launched the Holivia platform in May. To date, 2,700 colleagues have logged on. 692 have taken preventive action with healthcare professionals and psychologists, and we have been able to prevent 39 cases of burnout.
The second tool we use to measure progress is our annual performance and engagement survey, which we call Me@Saint-Gobain. This survey allows us to measure progress in terms of working conditions, work-life balance, engagement, and professional mobility, in order to go the extra mile.
What message would you like to convey to your peers or to leaders of other companies?
Let's not shy away from talking about mental health. Just as we would say at work that our elbows or knees hurt, Well, we need to be open, to create an environment that is attentive, so that we can open up and talk about issues such as tension, loss of self-confidence, and stress, in order to take steps toward prevention, support, and care.
What would be your motto for promoting mental health in the workplace?
The motto is: speak up, be bold.
It means engaging all stakeholders on the subject of mental health. Train to deploy and accelerate.
Other HR leaders shared the transformation they are bringing about in their companies. Discover the interviews conducted in 2025, the common dynamics observed, and our recommendations for action in our latest book: Perspectives from 10 HR leaders on mental health.
