Countdown to the conference - an insight into the upcoming RSA panel session

It’s safe to say that panel sessions are the pinnacle of entertainment – we’ve all seen Mock the Week and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. But what about a panel session for the workplace? The only thing better than mid-quality, late night television is a happy and thriving workplace, full of satisfied and productive employees. It is unfortunate, therefore, that only the former can be relied on with any certainty.

Not to fret though – help is on the way! We have a handpicked panel of guest speakers specialising in mental health and the workplace who can offer real-life insight and guidance on this topic. Speakers from Royal Sun Alliance, one of the world’s longest standing insurance companies, together with Locktons, a global, privately owned insurance brokerage, will be on hand to answer all of your questions on how to keep morale boosted whilst managing the causes of stress, anxiety, and depression at work. The panel will share their insights, experience and knowledge of these key issues facing the workforce in today’s legal profession.

If you want to be equipped with the knowledge and skillset to build and maintain an effective health and wellbeing strategy, then this is the session for you. We’ve all trudged through a myriad of risk assessments, but there’s not nearly enough talk about the very real threat mental health poses to the workplace, and how psychosocial risks need to be given the same priority as physical safety. We’ll provide you with the insight on what psychological safety is and what this looks like. No one wants to go to their boss about their mental health for fear of stigma or judgement – but together we can break down and address the barriers that prevent employees from raising their concerns. The panel will illustrate the important role that line managers play in helping to create a culture where individuals feel supported and heard when it comes to their wellbeing.

Over recent years, mental health has risen to the top of the list in terms of workplace issues, accentuated further by the onset of Covid-19. The isolation associated with the pandemic’s restrictions and blurring of the lines between work and home life caused by lockdowns alongside individual circumstances have irreparably altered the landscape of the workplace. Unsurprisingly these challenges have resulted in a significant rise in adverse mental health outcomes across the working population.

Deadlines, heavy workloads and poor team cultures, often coupled with feeling a lack of recognition and job satisfaction, have always existed. Although previously these merely contributed to work related stress, the onset of Covid not only accentuated these but introduced new avenues of concern and worries. The pandemic disrupted lives with an efficiency which entirely blurred the demarcations between professional and private spheres. Meanwhile establishing and managing these important boundaries fell primarily on individual employees, which was a challenge given many were working longer hours and struggling with social isolation due to virtual working.

It’s safe to say there is no sign of reported work-related stress, anxiety and depression rates falling back to pre-pandemic levels. Now the leading cause of ill health absence from work in the UK – with 51% of absences in 2021/22 related to work-related stress, depression or anxiety – the total cost of poor mental health to employers has increased by 25% since 2019, costing UK employers up to £56 billion per year according to Deloitte. So, if we don’t seek to address the causes of work-related stress, anxiety, and depression, even lawyers like yourselves could be facing big bills.