Employment Webinar Series January - March 2022

Join the Freeths Employment Team for our next webinar series taking place January - March 2022.

The 3 topics in this series will be:

• Neurodiversity in the workplace
• Right to disconnect and a new standard on mental health at work
• International Women's Day 2022 #BreaktheBias

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Neurodiversity in the workplace Date: Thursday 27th January 2022 Time: 1pm - 2pm

Neurodiversity refers to the natural range of differences in human brain function. In a workplace, neurodiversity is now an area of diversity and inclusion that refers to alternative thinking styles including neuroidentities such as autism, ADHD or dyslexia. These alternative thinking styles can be associated with some unique strengths, such as an ability to spot patterns and trends and a capacity to process information at extraordinary speed. It's estimated that around 15% of people in the UK are neurodivergent, however workplaces are still designed for neurotypicals.Join us as we provide an introduction to neurodiversity at work and how 'neuroinclusion' contributes to attracting untapped talent, boosting wellbeing and employee retention, and driving increased collaboration. We will also explain management practices of allowing neurodistinct employees/candidates to be in the driver's seat when it comes to reasonable adjustments, advocate for their own personal needs and shape their own experience, with appropriate support from their employers.We're delighted to be joined by Áine Maher, a Mental Wellbeing, Diversity and Belonging Consultant who specialises in Neuro-psychological education. One of her passions is the promotion of Neuroinclusion and supporting Uptimize as an advisory board member. Uptimize is a unique corporate training platform that helps organisations attract, hire and retain talent that thinks differently. Uptimize worked in collaboration with CIPD to produce the 'Neurodiversity at Work' guidance and continues to support global organisations to build robust and impactful neurodiversity at work programs. Speakers Laura TraceyÁine Maher

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Right to disconnect and a new standard on mental health at work Date: Thursday 10th February 2022Time: 12pm - 1pmLooking after employee wellbeing has never been more important. Staff who are not properly rested can become burned out, less productive and suffer poorer mental health. This can lead to issues in retention and morale; things that can be very damaging for an organisation. A right to disconnect encourages and perhaps expects staff to switch off when they are not working. Not only can it promote greater employee wellbeing, it can also be an effective way for organisations to demonstrate that they take employee wellbeing seriously.Join us to explore the global approach to 'right to disconnect' as well as other initiatives adopted by employers aimed at ensuring staff are well supported in their working lives. We will also discuss the world's first international standard on Mental Health and Psychological Safety in the workplace. The new standard addresses the many areas that can impact a worker's psychological health, including ineffective communication, excessive pressure, poor leadership, and organisational culture. We will cover the legal duties around mental psychological safety, and how employee wellbeing can contribute to your overall ESG strategy. Speakers Matt McBride Toby Pochron Toni Hudson

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International Women's Day 2022 #BreaktheBias Date: Thursday 17th March 2022Time: 12pm - 1pm

Register your place here

The theme for International Women's Day (IWD) 2022 is #BreaktheBias. International Women's Day celebrates the achievements of women and marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality. This year, we explore how we can break the bias in our workplaces to make them more diverse, equitable and inclusive. Join us to discuss the impact of gender bias, stereotypes, and discrimination and how this can play out in a work context. We will discuss how gender biases can present barriers to embedding inclusive hybrid working cultures, explore recent trends from Gender Pay Gap data, and how this has been impacted by the pandemic. We will also address the legal limits of positive action in the workplace, the benefits this can bring and how employers have successfully implemented positive action to bring about change. Speakers Kevin Poulter Christopher Sing

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If you have any questions regarding these webinars, please get in touch with thomas.williams@freeths.co.uk.