Reducing work-related ill-health and stress is no longer a “nice to have” it’s a “must have” for any sustainable business. Stress and poor mental health is today the number one cause of ill-health in the workplace.
Under section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 employers have a general duty of care to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of all of their employees and this duty includes their employees’ mental health. Employers also have duties under the Equality Act 2010, and common law duties to protect their employees from discrimination and harm.
In May 2022, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published their 10-year strategy ‘Protecting People and Places’ which sets out the basis upon which they will plan their future interventions and regulatory activity. The first of the HSE’s five key strategic objectives is to “reduce work-related ill health, with a specific focus on mental health and stress”. Given this area is so sharply under the regulator’s spotlight it should form a key part of any responsible organisation’s health and safety strategy.
At Kingsley Napley our specialist health and safety lawyers work with organisations and individuals to help them to identify the risks specific to their business and to discharge their legal responsibilities to their employees. We also help clients to:
- Defend against criminal investigation and prosecution;
- Navigate the challenges of workplace investigations and whistleblowing;
- Respond to claims of discrimination in the workplace;
- Deal with allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace;
- Represent senior managers and organisations at inquests;
- Respond to death and fatal accident claims, and to
- Manage their reputation when the unexpected happens.
