This month’s 'In Brief' brings together a range of resources and articles that we’ve found interesting over the past month. We’ve highlighted the key themes, to help you keep up to date with developments.

The Importance of Mental Health and Wellbeing Workplace Strategies

Employee mental health and well-being continues to be at the forefront of HR minds and research from Bupa Global, for example, found nearly two-thirds (63%) of business leaders reported that the pandemic had made them feel differently about mental health (bupa-executive-wellbeing-index-family-mental-health.pdf). Leeanne Armstrong of TLT NI LLP sets out the risks, solutions and best practice for employers in this helpful article. 
 
Hybrid working 

Another fall-out from the pandemic is the continued popularity of hybrid working – a term we wouldn’t have recognised before 2020!

The Labour Relations Agency provided a helpful and practical guide to hybrid working. A sample workplace policy is also included.

At Legal-Island the topic of hybrid working is still proving extremely popular with HR professionals and you can listen again to TWO of our Annual Review of Employment Law speakers, Seamus McGranaghan of O’Reilly Stewart Solicitors and Stuart Nottingham of Sun Rehabilitation, as they discuss hybrid working and the complexities of working life in the ‘new normal’ in our Employment Law at 11 series.

Employment law expert Seamus addresses the legal complexities of a hybrid working policy, how to assess suitability, risk assessment and when and if the law requires an employer to provide equipment for homeworking. He also deals with equality issues around home or hybrid working – what to expect and how to negotiate this minefield.

Registered occupational health-chartered physiotherapist, Stuart, has over 20 years’ experience in the field of occupational health. He is also an NLP Master Practitioner with a keen interest in Ergonomics, active working strategies, and Mindfulness in the workplace. Stuart will share his expertise on homeworking ergonomics and the science behind us all needing to adopt a more active approach to our working lives.

Do your employment contracts reflect the needs of the business? 

Kiera Lee of Mills Selig sets out points of note and key changes that may be coming to senior staff and director contracts in light of the proposals in from the Better Business Act (“BBA”) coalition. Catch up with her article to ensure you are ahead of the curve. 
https://ww021/sep/do-your-employment-contracts-reflect-the-needs-of-the-business/

 The Transfer of Employment and Changes to Contracts - How Do I Handle It? 

And sticking with changes to contracts, Patricia Rooney of Tughans answers the latest question submitted to Legal-Island by you. Drop us an email if you have any burning questions you’d like us to put to Patricia – katie@legal-island.com.

“I am an HR Manager in a company which is acquiring a small business where some of the transferring employees have written contracts and others do not.  We would like to issue new contracts of employment and also to introduce additional clauses like non-compete for a number of key staff – How do I handle it?” 
https://www.legal-island.com/articles/uk/features/how-do-i-handle-it/2021/october/transfer-of-employment-changes-to-contracts/

Bullying in the Workplace – The Importance of Training 

As well as having a clear policy in place so that employees are aware of what is not appropriate behaviour and how they can complain once it occurs, it is also essential to provide training for employees on the implications and application of the policy so that good practice is promoted and maintained.  
https://www.legal-island.com/articles/uk/features/supplementary/2021/september/bullying-in-the-workplace--the-importance-of-training/

And for more details of Legal-Island's eLearning course on bullying in the workplace, please follow this link: 
https://www.legal-island.com/e-learning/workplace-bullying/