The Acas Podcast

It is important for employers to recognise and take steps to reduce work-related stress for their staff, encourage them staff to seek help at the earliest opportunity if they begin to experience stress.We are joined by Rob McGreal, HSE Policy Lead for work-related stress and mental health and Francoise Woolley, Acas Head of Mental Health and Wellbeing.We discuss:·        What is work-related stress·        Legal considerations·        Supporting health and wellbeing Transcript available at https://www.acas.org.uk/podcast/work-related-stress-lifting-the-pressure-at-workEpisode resources:Advice and guidance on how to support mental health and wellbeing at work: https://www.acas.org.uk/supporting-mental-health-workplaceTraining on mental health in the workplace hereCaroline Bradshaw’s blog on ‘Make it routine to prevent work-related stress’: https://www.acas.org.uk/make-it-routine-to-prevent-work-related-stressKate Nowicki’s blog on ‘Handling change, avoid stress’: https://workright.campaign.gov.uk/blog-handle-change-avoid-stressHSE stress and mental health at work advice and guidance: https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/HSE Working Minds Campaign: https://workright.campaign.gov.uk/campaigns/working-minds/The campaign is calling for a culture change across Britain’s workplaces where recognising and responding to the signs of stress becomes as routine as managing workplace safety.For podcast and event updates sign up to our free email newsletter

In this episode, Acas Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Julie Dennis, and co-founder of Utopia and Token Man, Daniele Fiandaca, explore the importance of allyship in the pursuit for gender equality in the workplace, and in wider society.This episode will cover a variety of allyship-related topics, some of which include; what is allyship, how men and women engaging in and committing to allyship benefits everyone, and suggestions for what organisations and leaders can do to encourage allyship, and reduce gender disparities in their workplace.Episode Resources·      Equality and Diversity At Acas: https://www.acas.org.uk/about-us/equality-and-diversity-at-acas·      Menopause and the Law: https://www.acas.org.uk/menopause-at-work/menopause-and-the-law·      Menopause at Work: https://www.acas.org.uk/menopause-at-work·      If Your Treated Unfairly at Work: https://www.acas.org.uk/if-youre-treated-unfairly-at-work·      Acas Training: https://obs.acas.org.uk/·     Token Man Website: https://www.tokenman.org/·     Masculinity in the Workplace report: https://www.weareutopia.co/publicationsTo contact an Acas adviser for specialist support, get in touchFor podcast and event updates sign up to our free email newsletterTranscript at https://www.acas.org.uk/podcast/allyship-positively-moving-the-conversation-of-gender-equality-forward

Supporting the menopause at work is important for both employers and their staff. In this episode we will discuss how organisations can create a supportive and inclusive environment, and the considerations they should be aware of to help their staff with menopause at work.We are joined by Haitham Hamoda, Clinical Lead for the menopause service at King's College Hospital and the immediate past Chair from the British Menopause Society, and Kate Nowicki, Director of Dispute Resolution at Acas.We discuss:·        How to handle menopause at work·        Creating a supportive environment·        Legal rights and considerationsEpisode resources:Advice and guidance on how to handle menopause at work: https://www.acas.org.uk/menopause-at-workThe British Menopause Society support and advice: https://thebms.org.ukSimone Cheng’s blog on ‘Normalising the menopause’: https://www.acas.org.uk/normalising-the-menopauseMichelle Piertney’s blog on ‘Breaking the silence on the menopause’: https://www.acas.org.uk/breaking-the-silence-on-the-menopauseTo contact an Acas adviser for specialist support, get in touchSign up to menopause and the workplace trainingFor podcast and event updates sign up to our free email newsletterTranscript available at www.acas.org.uk/podcast/discussing-menopause-at-work

Experiencing a bereavement can be a daunting and unsettling time. In this episode we discuss the support that organisations can give to help their staff with a bereavement, and the considerations they should be aware of, to provide a supportive and empathetic environment at work.We are joined by Tracey Taylor-Huckfield, Director of People and Corporate Services at Sue Ryder, Andy Langford, Clinical Director at Cruse, and Lucie Garvin, Subject Matter Expert at Acas.We discuss:·        How to handle a bereavement at work·        Supporting mental health and wellbeing·        Legal rights and considerations Episode resources:Advice and guidance on how to handle a bereavement at work: https://www.acas.org.uk/time-off-for-bereavementDownload our free bereavement policy template: https://www.acas.org.uk/example-bereavement-policyAcas Senior Policy Adviser, Adrian Wakeling’s blog on bereavement: https://www.acas.org.uk/working-with-bereavement-a-personal-reflectionSue Ryder online support: Online Bereavement Support | Sue RyderCruse online support: When your employee is bereaved - Cruse Bereavement SupportTo contact an Acas adviser for specialist support, get in touchFor podcast and event updates sign up to our free email newsletterTranscript available at www.acas.org.uk/podcast

Do all employers take pride in their people? In this episode we focus on the importance of organisations supporting their LGBTI+ communities and what practical steps they can take to be a more diverse and inclusive workplace. We are joined by Lucie Garvin, Deputy Chair of the Acas LGBTI+ & Allies staff network; Tom Price who is the Senior Leader Champion for the Acas LGBTI+ & Allies staff network and Emma Dunn, Chair of a:gender, the cross-government network supporting trans and intersex staff across government. We discuss:·        Issues affecting LGBTI+ people at work·        How to set up an LGBTI+ & Allies staff network·        Celebrating Pride and continued LGBTI+ support Episode resources:Advice and guidance on how to improve equality, diversity and inclusion in your workplace: https://www.acas.org.uk/improving-equality-diversity-and-inclusionDownload our free equality, diversity and inclusion policy template: https://www.acas.org.uk/equality-policy-templateEmma Dunn’s blog on the Equality Act 2010: https://www.acas.org.uk/the-equality-act-2010-agender-and-meLucie Garvin’s blog on how Acas relaunched it’s LGBTI+ & Allies staff network: https://www.acas.org.uk/lucie-garvin-our-network-is-helping-to-make-lgbt-history-at-acas-0Read the findings from research conducted by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) on supporting trans employees in the workplace: https://www.acas.org.uk/supporting-trans-employees-in-the-workplaceTo contact an Acas adviser for specialist support, get in touchFor podcast and event updates sign up to our free email newsletterTranscript available at www.acas.org.uk/podcast

This episode is the first of our new, special edition podcasts on The Future of Work, featuring debate and thought-provoking questions with special guests, on key themes around the future of work. In this episode, Gill Dix, head of policy at Acas, looks at new research commissioned by Acas on the cost of conflict to UK workplaces.Conflict is an inevitable part of life, but what is the financial cost of conflict to workplaces in the UK? Is it taken seriously by organisations? Does investing in conflict management make sense for all workplaces or just some?Join Gill and the report’s authors, Richard Saundry, Professor of Human Resource Management and Employment Relations at Sheffield University and Peter Urwin, Professor of Applied Economics at the University of Westminster to unpack the cost of conflict and what we can do about it.Episode resources:Read the report on the cost of conflict here: https://www.acas.org.uk/costs-of-conflictFor more resources to help you improve productivity in your workplace, visit: https://www.propelhub.org/Transcript available at www.acas.org.uk/podcast