The world of work has remained broadly the same for the last 100 to 200 years – offices might have lost the wood panelling, trains become less smoky (inside and out!), top hats turned into bowler hats then no hats, beards have gone in, out, then back into fashion, but the central tenet remains – … Continue Reading
What a difference a week makes. By now, businesses, offices and families all across the United Kingdom are coming to terms with the recommendation that (where possible) people self-isolate as the UK Government seeks to “spread the peak” of the Coronavirus pandemic. Ignoring the seismic impact this has had upon businesses and industries, there is … Continue Reading
The news today will be full of stories about mental health, aimed at raising awareness of this critical issue. Similarly, many companies will be running events to support employees’ mental health, encouraging them to feel comfortable disclosing their any issues and to seek support. This is all very laudable and forms an important part of … Continue Reading
As we mentioned in our previous blog, the Farmer/ Stephenson “Thriving at Work” Report has made a number of recommendations as to steps that businesses, the public sector and the Government can take to increase mental health and wellbeing within the workplace, with the aim not only of increasing the standard of mental health but … Continue Reading
Today saw the publication of the Thriving at Work report commissioned by the Prime Minister in January this year and written by Paul Farmer CBE, Chief Executive of MIND and Lord Stevenson, the former Chairman of HBOS who has been open about his own struggle with clinical depression. This is a far reaching report, a … Continue Reading
Today is the 25th annual Mental Health Day, a fact which has passed with little fanfare. It’s not clear if this is a sign of progress (i.e. mental health is now so engrained in the workplace that there’s less need to publicise World Mental Health Day), or something else. The theme of World Mental Health … Continue Reading
Squire Patton Boggs and pre-employment screening specialists ADP present a webinar focussing on the common issues arising at the start of the employment process. On 10 October 2017 at 4.00 p.m. UK time, David Regan and Annabel Mace from Squire Patton Boggs and ADP Pre-Employment Screening Manager Kevin Stone will consider: Pre-employment screening Why do … Continue Reading
What do we mean when we talk about “mental health”? The World Health Organisation defines mental health as: “a state of well-being in which every individual realises his/her potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.” The … Continue Reading
17 March marks World Sleep Day. According to RAND Europe, a lack of sleep among UK workers is costing the economy up to £40 billion a year (equivalent to almost 2% of GDP). Sleep deprivation leads to a higher mortality risk over the long term, as well as lower productivity levels and increased risk of … Continue Reading
As you may have noticed, today is the fourth annual “Time to Talk” day. The purpose of the Time to Talk day is to seek to break down the stigma of mental health issues and spark conversations, not only to aid recovery but also to help people with their personal and professional relationships and to … Continue Reading
Squire Patton Boggs and pre-employment screening specialists ADP present a webinar focussing on the common issues arising at the start of the employment process. On 27 September 2016 at 10.30 am BST, David Regan and Annabel Mace from Squire Patton Boggs and Lisa Lee from ADP will consider: Pre-employment screening Why do it? When is … Continue Reading
Last month the Government was hard at work, looking at ways to drive forward the UK economy. What was it doing, I hear you ask…was it Brexit? Was it the EU-US Free Trade Agreement? A potential saviour for the Port Talbot steelworks? British Home Stores? In a word, no. Dissatisfied with the UK placing second … Continue Reading
Today is National Stress Awareness Day in the United Kingdom. This is not to be confused with National Stress Awareness Day in the United States (16th April), or indeed National Stress Awareness Month (also in the US and also April). Quite why April is more stressful in the US and November is more stressful in … Continue Reading
Working in Big Law is all sharp haircuts, perfect teeth and snappy rejoinders – at least that is the picture presented by the TV show, Suits. I must confess to this as a guilty pleasure for my family as we watch the weekly shenanigans of Harvey, Jessica, Mike, Louis, Rachel and Donna. It would seem … Continue Reading
No job within the Square Mile is immune from its own stresses or strains. As the City of London Corporation’s Business Healthy blog notes (https://www.businesshealthy.org/blog/), the recent economic climate has exacerbated these through the invariable requirement that businesses reduce their cost base without adversely affecting their profits. Undoubtedly, this drive to do more with less … Continue Reading
Ruby Wax is a well-known and respected campaigner for mental health issues. Imagine my surprise, therefore, to open my Times Online (behind a paywall) this week to the headline “Don’t tell your boss if you’re mentally ill, Ruby Wax advises“. I was sure that this was the Times Online taking a quotation out of context to … Continue Reading
Following on from Ellen Inglis’ piece on Kerry Miller, the Burton Albion Football Club administrator who sent ‘sexy selfies’ to players half her age, comes a tale from ‘football’ on the other side of the Atlantic, of players, cheerleaders, rules and mild condescension. The Oakland Raiders, with their skull and crossbones logo and rabid fans, … Continue Reading
Once upon a time, in a land far far away (the 1980s), Christmas parties were an excuse for a good old knees-up, staggering amounts of inebriation, wildly inappropriate conversations, and for drunken staff to get anything off their chest to the MD safe in the knowledge that he (and in those days it almost always … Continue Reading
The statistic that approximately 1 in 10 employees in Europe is or has been absent from work due to depression, will come as no surprise to most employers or HR professionals. This statistic takes no account of ‘presenteeism’, where employees who are unwell attend the workplace because they feel they should, but who then perform … Continue Reading
This is the first in a series of posts looking at questions around identifying and supporting employees with mental health issues, when an illness becomes a disability and the interplay between business realities and employment law. In a banner year for mental health awareness, the profile of the issue rose last week to new heights. … Continue Reading
The recent travails of the Australian cricket team have been the cause for some rejoicing amongst England fans who are old enough to remember the dark days of, well, most of the last 30 years. One individual probably quite seriously conflicted over the whole thing is Mickey Arthur, the recently deposed Australian coach. To recap, … Continue Reading
Every morning I get the Times on my iPad. By the time I’ve eaten my breakfast, I’ve read the Sport section and can then use my train journey to look at the rest without having to master the “commuter fold”. Usually the Times tends towards a sombre recording of events, reporting even the most salacious … Continue Reading
Some months ago, I wrote an article comparing the process for Kevin Pietersen’s reintegration into the England cricket team with the use of workplace mediation in the more common situation where employees fall out or an employee needs to be ‘brought back into the fold’ after raising a grievance. As they say, sport is a … Continue Reading
The recent impasse between Kevin Pietersen and the English Cricket Board has led to much wailing and gnashing of teeth in those sectors of society who care about these things. In particular, a significant proportion of the sporting press seems convinced that England’s attempts to regain its status as the number one cricket team in … Continue Reading
