The increasing emergence of AI and related technology featured heavily in the discussion although alongside the idea of technology replacing previous jobs for new starters there was the idea that the current influx of early career applicants are digital natives so can bring skills and attitudes to the workplace which existing staff can learn from in order to get the most from evolving technology. 

The panel also address the need to provide appropriate support and understanding to early careers candidates as they make the transition into the workplace. An appreciation both of neurodiversity and the mental health challenges associated with regular working life means organisation are better placed to get the most from their new recruits in the short and longer term. 

The HR World’s webinar The Lost Generation – the challenge and opportunity for HR, is well worth a view to understand the current state of play for early careers and for organisations looking to ensure their own career pipeline remainseffective in these turbulent times.  

Yet according to research only 18% of women say their workplace has a menopause policy in place(2). This is likely to change, however, as employers with over 250 employees are now being encouraged to design and implement a Menopause Action Plan, with the expectation that such a plan will be mandatory next year.

According to Dr Lucy Mather, GP and Founder of women’s healthcare and training specialists Jaya Life, the need for action around the impact of the menopause recognises that many companies employ women between the ages of 45 and 60 and that these individuals frequently hold important positions for their businesses. Many women affected by menopause issues have built significant careers, often they have been with their employer for some time and do excellent work, holding high profile roles, retaining important knowledge and skills for their businesses. And yet they can quickly find themselves struggling with work, their performance compromised through fatigue and brain fog, through absence or even through the negative impact of presenteeism.

“You need to have early recognition, proactive management and to offer women treatment options,” says Mather. “You need to allow the conversation to happen and to allow the conversation to happen, recognise it, remove embarrassment and create a culture where we are comfortable discussing how we feel.”

“Raising awareness is all well and good,” Mather continues, “but you need to be able to take the next steps – what can you do to get better and what can your employer do to help you access the support you need?”

Indeed even something as simple as visiting the GP can be a challenge for some working women, given inflexible working hours and the scarcity of appointments. Moreover, the consulting time offered by GPs may be inadequate to fully understand the individual’s experience and determine the kind of support or treatment they might need. Mather’s own approach allows for an hour long consultation which gives her patients the chance to fully explore what’s happening in their lives, to cover their health holistically and to explore treatment options.

Raising awareness is all well and good, but you need to be able to take the next steps.”

Valor Hospitality are currently developing their Menopause Action Plan, which will ultimately sit alongside their Gender Pay Gap action plan. Both of these initiatives are set to be embedded in the business prior to the mandatory date in 2027. 

Their employees split with 54% women, 16% of whom are in the age bracket of 45-55, so the company recognises it has a real responsibility to ensure this significant part of their workforce have the same opportunities to excel in their careers as others.

“We want to offer understanding to team members experiencing menopause and perimenopause, making sure we make adjustments where we can to support their needs to enable them to continue to excel in the workplace,” says Moira Laird, People and Culture Director at Valor Hospitality. “It isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach – we highlight a variety of potential options Valor Hospitality can support, with team members retaining control over the best course of action for them.”

Central to the company’s policy is the creation of a wellbeing action plan. This is a template that helps individuals identify symptoms, effective management strategies, and necessary support. Once made, the plan is reviewed periodically to ensure adjustments remain effective.

At wealth management and employee benefits service Mattioli Woods, Neelam Gill, Senior People Business Partner explains their Menopause in the Workplace Policy is grounded in employment law, recognising that menopause symptoms may trigger legal protections relating to sex, age, disability and gender reassignment under the Equality Act. “The policy sits alongside a suite of existing Mattioli Woods policies,” says Gill, “including our Health and Safety, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Flexible Working, and Sickness Absence policies to ensure a consistent, legally informed and joined-up approach across the organisation.”

Gill states that the policy covers all employees regardless of role, working pattern or gender identity, and provides a clear framework for support at every stage – perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause.

“Employees can raise concerns confidentially with their line manager, HR, or another manager if they feel more comfortable doing so,” she says. “Where appropriate, they can also be referred to occupational health or our employee assistance programme.”

In terms of practical workplace adjustments, the policy includes provision such as temporary flexibility in working hours, start/finish times, break patterns, hybrid and home working where the role allows. These is also provision for access to cool drinking water, desk fans and improved ventilation. The company will also commit to temporary adjustments to duties, workload or performance targets wherever this helps the employee.

It is clear that employers must now go beyond simply raising awareness of menopause and instead implement real actions that will make a difference for those affected. As Mather points out real menopause action means training management in recognising and responding to employees who may have menopause related symptoms. “It’s not just another tick-box,” she says. “You need to realise the significant impact this has on employees, but also how women can benefit from getting the right kind of support at the right time.”

1. UK Government’s Menopause and the Workplace report: https://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=9672cf45-5f13-4b69-8882-1e5e643ac8a6
2. Serenova: https://www.serenova.co.uk/blog/menopause-report-which-sectors-feel-most-supported?utm_source=press+release&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=menreportpress

With the economic climate facing so much uncertainty, organisations are tightening their belts and looking at every opportunity to drive efficiencies. But when we look at working efficiently, it raises a big question. What is the reference point? Every organisation seems to go through the same annual cycle, expecting to deliver more with less. Technological advances alone cannot account for the savings being asked. Hard-working employees are rewarded with higher targets and fewer resources. And whilst those same organisations introduce wellbeing policies and tell people not to work after hours or send emails over the weekend, the inevitable truth is that unless many of them do, there is no way to bring those workloads down.

So, another Mental Health Awareness Week and Month arrives, and with it, the familiar rhythm of activity. Lunchtime webinars. Posters in the staff kitchen. A heartfelt LinkedIn post from the CEO. A fresh cohort signed up to mental health first aider training. In most cases the intent is sincere. The trouble is that we have been doing some version of this for more than a decade now, and on almost every measure that matters, the picture is not improving.

Awareness without action

Mental Health UK’s 2026 Burnout Report, drawn from YouGov polling of more than 4,500 UK adults, captures the disconnect with uncomfortable clarity. Just 27% of workers feel that mental health is genuinely prioritised and supported through action and resources in their workplace. Almost one in three say their employer raises awareness, but managers lack the time, training and resources to do anything meaningful with it. One in five workers took time off in the last year because of stress-related poor mental health, rising to almost two in five among 18 to 24 year olds. That is what awareness without action looks like from the inside.

Zoom out, and the macro picture is no better. The WHO and ILO estimate that 12 billion working days are lost globally each year to depression and anxiety, at a cost of around $1 trillion in lost productivity. Deloitte UK’s 2024 Mental Health and Employers report put the annual cost to UK employers alone at £51 billion, with presenteeism the single largest contributor. So why does the dial refuse to move?

I think we have spent ten years confidently solving the wrong problem. We have built an architecture of awareness. We have signposted EAPs, certified mental health first aiders, lit up offices in green for the week, and trained everyone to look out for the signs. What we have not been willing to do, on the whole, is interrogate how the work itself is designed, and how it is being asked of the people doing it.

This is the quiet conversation employees are having when their managers leave the room. They notice that, in the same week as the burnout webinar, three colleagues left the team and the workload was simply absorbed by those who remained. They notice that the inbox does not stop when they take a week off – so emails get checked from the sun lounger, just to soften the dread of returning on a Sunday night to hundreds of unread messages. They notice that flexibility tends to flow in one direction, with work creeping into the evenings, the weekends and the family dinner, but rarely the other way round. The cynicism this breeds is not aimed at mental health support itself. It is aimed at the gap between what the organisation says and what it actually does.

For all the talk of AI rewriting the future of work, the numbers tell a sobering story too. According to the ONS, the average weekly hours of full-time UK staff have barely shifted in a decade. We are working roughly the same number of formal hours as before, but with thinner teams, higher expectations and a digital tether that follows us into the dining room. The maths is brutal. That extra capacity is being conjured from somewhere, and the somewhere is the personal time of loyal employees who, out of commitment, are quietly absorbing the gap.

Be brave enough to put the wellbeing strategy and the workforce plan on the same page, in front of the same executives, in the same conversation.”

If we are honest, we have allowed the wellbeing strategy and the workforce planning strategy to live in entirely different rooms. They are written by different teams, championed by different executives, and almost never sit on the same agenda. We invest in mindfulness apps while signing off resource plans that mathematically guarantee burnout. We talk about sustainable performance while operating with single points of failure across every critical function in the business.

This is not a failure of intent. It is a failure of structural courage.

The gradual descent

A race to the bottom is a fair way of describing where many of us have ended up, because no single CEO sat down one Tuesday and decided to engineer a culture in which people answer emails from their holiday villa. It happened gradually. Every organisation is benchmarking itself against the next one. Every cost line is being squeezed against last year. The result is a system in which everybody is running faster, nobody is meaningfully ahead, and the cost is being absorbed silently by the nervous systems of our employees.

What employees are asking for this Mental Health Awareness Month is not more awareness. It is for someone, somewhere in the building, to do the harder thing – to look at the work, not just the worker. To ask whether the roles we have designed are actually doable in the contracted hours. To ask whether ‘always on’ has quietly crept in as an unspoken expectation. To ask whether the goodwill of loyal colleagues has become a permanent operating model rather than a temporary stretch. To ask, plainly, whether holiday is really holiday in your business, or just a different location from which to keep half an eye on the inbox.

These are leadership questions before they are HR questions. So my challenge for this Mental Health Awareness Month is a simple one. Spend less time campaigning, and more time examining. Be brave enough to put the wellbeing strategy and the workforce plan on the same page, in front of the same executives, in the same conversation. Look honestly at what your business model is asking of people, and whether the goodwill plugging the gap can keep doing so indefinitely. Because if we do not, employees will continue to draw their own conclusions about which strategy the organisation truly believes in.

And when the engagement scores slip, when sickness absence climbs, when the people we cannot afford to lose start handing in their notices, we will not be able to claim we did not know. We will only be able to claim that we chose awareness over action.

As the New Year gets underway there are many who will be making resolutions in the hope of a better life. Better health, physically and mentally, a better financial situation and even a better social life. 

Each of these pillars of wellbeing can be strongly influenced by employers. But given the current stresses and challenges faced by many employees, together with the challenges that face organisations (there maybe some signs of green shoots, but markets remain challenging and uncertain) HR can find itself with some difficult choices. With the budget that it does have, where is expenditure best used to have maximum impact on the wellbeing of everyone?

According to The State of Financial Wellbeing 2025 report, published by Stream (formally Wagestream) and behavioural scientists CogCo, the financial wellbeing of people across the UK declined for the first time last year. The FinWell Index, which informs the annual report, tracks the state of the nation’s financial wellbeing and unpacks the role employers play in that experience. This year, that index has fallen, revealing the growing financial pressure on households and widening inequalities across gender and age.

The implications for employers cannot be avoided – as Peter Briffett, CEO and co-founder of Stream, pointes out: “When people are financially secure, they’re less stressed, more engaged, and more productive – outcomes that benefit both employees and employers.”

Tom Pearson, Director of People at fintech company Twenty7tec certainly thinks the financial side of things will play an important part in employee satisfaction this year: “When an employee is under financial strain, it creates a burden that leads to stress, impacts physical health through poor sleep or nutrition, and impacts social interaction,” he says. Unfortunately, as he notes, employers are not in a position to simply make more cash available. The stress of the cost of living must be set against new costs from meeting the National Minimum Wage and new legislation – he cites flexible working changes and the new preventative duty for worker protection as examples. 

“These changes are positive and necessary,” he says, “but they require investment in administration, training, and infrastructure.”

Pearson recommends making sure any financial support comes with added value: “This means utilising salary sacrifice schemes – like pension, cycle-to-work, or EV schemes – which provide savings for employees at little to no cost to the business,” he says. “In addition, we must provide high-quality financial education to help employees navigate the current economy and manage their existing income more effectively.”

Pearson is essentially making sure employees appreciate and maximise the value of what they already have.

This attitude can be applied to other areas of employee provision. Brad Batesole, Founding Partner at Madecraft notes that learning and development provision can deliver significant positive impacts on many different areas of an employee’s life: “When budgets are squeezed, everyone’s looking for the biggest impact,” he says. “L&D is the one investment that amplifies all wellbeing initiatives and has the potential to make your workforce more engaged and more productive.”

Nothing damages confidence like feeling stuck or left behind.

Batesole gives the example of physical wellbeing: “When employees can access bite-sized learning during their usual workday instead of staying late for training sessions or to catch up on work, you immediately reduce stress and burnout.

The mental health benefits don’t stop there: “Nothing damages confidence like feeling stuck or left behind,” says Batesole, “but personalised learning that adapts to individual pace shows employees a clear growth path whilst nurturing the softer skills that protect against workplace stress and disengagement.”

Learning can even impact on the social side of life: “When people learn together, they connect through natural opportunities for collaboration and relationship building that extend far beyond training sessions,” he adds.

The biggest drag on productivity isn’t people being off sick, it’s people turning up for work but running on empty.

Taking a holistic view on wellbeing leads HR to consider the employee experience and how this can be improved and supported generally, rather than simply looking for specific hits in any single area. And according to Katie Winstanley – HR Director, Morson Group this can address issues such as absenteeism as well: “In reality, the biggest drag on productivity isn’t people being off sick, it’s people turning up for work but running on empty,” she says. “Burnout, constant pressure, decision fatigue and low-level anxiety quietly erode performance long before absence shows up in the data. When people are mentally stretched, gym memberships don’t get used, financial benefits get ignored, and social initiatives feel like window dressing because people just don’t have the bandwidth to take part. And if people don’t have mental headroom, nothing else really works.”

For this reason Winstanley says that with strictly limited resources she wouldn’t spend out on perks or bolt-on support that are only relevant if someone is struggling, but would put it into doing the basics right: sensible workload design, managers who can lead rather than just manage, setting clear expectations, trying to create psychological safety, and allowing flexibility where it genuinely helps people perform. “These are not expensive interventions,” she says, “but they make a disproportionate difference to engagement, resilience and output. They are considered ‘the basics’ but not everyone does the basics well.”

In uncertain and challenging times people need clarity, trust, and good leadership.

Karen Rider, Head of People at ICS-digital agrees that the priority should lie in creating better working processes for employees. This impacts on the all round experience of the worker, rather than providing something that just off-sets the difficulties: “In uncertain and challenging times people need clarity, trust, and good leadership,” she says. “If you get that right, the rest should follow. For these reasons I’d prioritise manager capability and continuing to build an inclusive culture, over any other single or specific wellbeing initiative or spend.”

This is not to suggest that initiatives which address physical, mental, financial and social wellbeing are not important – but, as Rider suggests, the biggest determinant of employee engagement, productivity and wellbeing remains the quality of their day-to-day experience at work and that is something which is shaped most by their line manager.

“Prioritising continued investment in the ongoing coaching and development of people managers – equipping them to have good conversations, set clear expectations, give feedback and recognition, manage workload and performance fairly and create an environment of trust and psychological safety – should all form the foundation of where limited wellbeing investment is focused, as it delivers the greatest and most sustainable impact on both performance and the employee experience,” Rider concludes.

There is no doubt that delivering initiatives which help employees with their financial, physical, mental and social wellbeing is crucial for a workforce to feel appreciated and supported. Moreover, enabling employees to select support from each of these areas as and when they require it can return dividends as the recipients experience greater value around things that have a direct impact on them. But at the end of the day, HR must ensure the background experience of the employee is a positive one from the start if they are to have a firm foundation on which to build great working lives.

Workplace stress has become one of the biggest challenges faced by employers and HR professionals today. While jobs are becoming more demanding, employees often find themselves short of the emotional, cognitive and organisational resources needed to cope.

According to Gallup’s 2025 State of the Global Workplace report, the global picture is troubling: 40% of workers experience daily stress, 23% report feelings of sadness and 22% say they feel lonely. These numbers reflect a workforce still shaped by instability, rapid technological change and the lingering impact of the pandemic.

The UK picture

In the UK, the situation is equally concerning. Stress levels rank among the highest in Europe, driven by low confidence in career prospects and widespread dissatisfaction with work-life balance. The Health and Safety Executive’s 2024 report estimates that stress accounts for 17.1 million lost working days each year, with 79% of UK employees experiencing workplace stress regularly – costing businesses an estimated £5.2 billion annually.

It’s clear that supporting employees’ mental wellbeing should be treated as a strategic priority if businesses want to enhance staff retention and ensure organisational sustainability, and language learning presents a meaningful way to achieve this.

Beyond being a valuable professional skill, learning a new language stimulates brain areas linked to memory, focus and emotional regulation. It builds resilience, reduces stress and fosters a sense of personal growth, all of which are essential for staying calm and focused under pressure.

I believe there are four clear ways language learning can help address key sources of workplace stress:

1. Managing heavy workloads

When workloads become overwhelming, even brief language learning sessions can act as a form of mental training that helps sharpen focus and attention. The structured effort of regular study enhances time management and prioritisation skills, boosting productivity without adding pressure. In this sense, language learning becomes a form of self-regulation, helping individuals maintain clarity and composure even during the busiest periods.

2. Regaining a sense of control

In times of uncertainty, learning a new language can restore a sense of autonomy and progress. Developing new skills builds confidence, reduces anxiety and opens doors to fresh professional opportunities, sometimes across international markets. In a world where stability feels elusive, language learning offers a tangible investment in oneself and a reminder that growth is always within reach.

3. Embracing the changing world of work

As technology continues to reshape how we work, adaptability has never been more important. Language study naturally builds this flexibility. Many digital language learning platforms also turn technology into an ally rather than a source of stress, encouraging positive, goal-driven engagement. By nurturing curiosity and openness, language learners are better equipped to navigate change and approach digital challenges with confidence.

4. Balancing work and personal wellbeing

For those struggling to switch off from work, language learning can offer a restorative outlet. Even a few minutes of study each day creates a mindful routine that provides mental space and a sense of achievement. This “quality time” supports emotional balance, fosters mindfulness and reinforces the satisfaction of doing something meaningful for oneself.

Ultimately, language learning nurtures curiosity, confidence and emotional balance, helping people face professional challenges with greater calm and resilience. In an era defined by constant change and mounting pressure, learning a language may be one of the simplest and most rewarding ways to strengthen both mind and spirit.

Comedian Steve Allen once quipped, “I used to make mental bets. That’s how I lost my mind.”

Clever line. And it’s based in truth. The modern workplace can make even the most resilient person feel wobbly. Deadlines multiply, inboxes groan, and then you discover someone’s taken the last Cadbury bar.

So, on World Mental Health Day, HR leaders are asking: how do we support our people when the pressure never seems to let up?

The answer isn’t found in another mindfulness app or the 117th book about Stoicism. It’s something more fun, far simpler – and way more human.

Laughter.

Humour isn’t just a “bonus” feature of a positive culture. It’s a resilience tool, a stress reliever, and a powerful connector when times are tough. When people can laugh, they can breathe and think. The old saying is true: “Funny is money.” And sometimes, it’s also sanity.

Why shared struggles make the best stories

Think about your favourite team memories. They rarely involve everything going smoothly. They’re about something going spectacularly wrong. The computer that died five minutes before a pitch. Your “casual Friday” outfit that turned out to be too formal. The company retreat that ended in a round of food poisoning… and stronger friendships.

Those moments feel dreadful at the time, but they become the glue that holds people together. Shared laughter reframes the story, turning frustration into perspective and chaos into connection.

Authenticity 

One company I know hosts an “Oops Hour” every Friday afternoon. Staff email their funniest (appropriate) workplace mishaps. Someone might confess to hitting “reply all” on a surprise birthday thread. Another might admit to locking themselves out of the building…twice. The result isn’t embarrassment. It’s a relief.

One HR director told me, “Our error rate dropped once we stopped hiding errors!”

That’s the magic of humour. It turns vulnerability into unity and mistakes into great material for the next Holiday party.

Laughter as a resilience tool

When stress builds, people shrink. They get defensive, cautious, and tired. Creativity vanishes. Energy drains. But humour interrupts that downward spiral. “She who laughs…lasts.” 

A good laugh releases endorphins, lowers cortisol, and resets the nervous system. It reminds people that even when things go wrong, they’re not doomed.

I’ve seen it happen before high-stakes gatherings. The tension is thick, then a leader says something self-aware like, “Last meeting I rambled on. Let’s thank the IT team for not unplugging me.” The room laughs at a leader’s self-effacing humour. Everyone relaxes.

As I mentioned recently on Harvard Business Review’s IdeaCast, leaders should aim to raise their “LPMs”—Laughs Per Meeting. It’s not about telling jokes; it’s about breaking the ice and creating ease. When laughter rises, stress falls.

Humour reminds us that “hum” is at the root of both human and humour. Without it, work becomes mechanical, predictable, and about as joyful as a quarterly budget review.

The science of shared laughter

Mother Teresa, who wasn’t known for stand-up, once said, “A smile is the shortest distance between two people.” Science agrees.

When people laugh together, their heart rates synchronise, their breathing aligns, and their brains light up in similar patterns. Laughter doesn’t just lift mood – it literally connects us.

Teams that laugh together collaborate more easily, recover faster from setbacks, and share feedback more openly. They feel safe.

Studies show that humour is a shortcut to trust. Positive fun is like soil where psychological safety and creativity grows.

Turning problems into punchlines

George Burns, the legendary vaudeville comedian, lived to be 99. When asked his secret to longevity, he said, “I can’t die…I’m booked!” Healthy workplaces promote longevity and handle setbacks like comedians handle bad gigs—they mine them for material.

Humor doesn’t erase difficulty. It transforms it. It allows us to look at challenges with a mix of honesty and levity. When leaders model that, fear gives way to curiosity. Instead of “Who’s at fault?” people ask, “What can we laugh at – and how can we learn from this?”

In my book The Laughter Factor, I describe five simple ways—what I call “Laugh Languages” – for bringing humour into work life:

Surprise! Use the unexpected to shift the mood. One manager began a meeting with, “Let’s start with a moment of silence for everyone’s unread emails.” 

Poke. Make light of yourself and beat the rush. “I was thinking about how dimwitted my boss was at my last job. Sadly, I was self-employed.” 

In-Jokes. Every workplace has funny folklore—the broken coffee machine, the mysterious lunch thief, the colleague who famously emails, “Just a few quick questions” right before the workday ends. 

Wordplay. Clever phrases or puns can remind people that work can be serious without feeling solemn. Even the occasional groan-worthy dad joke has its place. “I gave all my dead batteries away today…
Free of charge!” 

Amplify. Use exaggeration to restore perspective. “We missed the deadline by only two days, which makes us early by government standards.” (If you are in government…find a different “safe target”.) 

Each tactic is enhanced via authenticity. When people can laugh, they stop pretending to be perfect. That’s when genuine engagement begins.

Create “SAD” Moments (Surprise and Delight)

HR professionals can reclaim the word “SAD” by turning it into Surprise And Delight.

Send a “Half Birthday” card 6 months before an associate’s birthday. Add a playful note to a recognition email. Host a game of “Bingo biscuits” during a stressful week. “Planned spontaneity” can revitalize your people. 

One HR team created the “Golden Gaffe” award for the funniest mistake made in good faith. The prize? A plastic crown and bragging rights for the month. This kind of clean comedy builds camaraderie. People start admitting small problems before they become big ones.

Remember, your people don’t expect you to be a professional comedian. They just want to feel appreciated. A touch of humour can turn a tough week into a shared memory instead of a shared complaint. Humour and kindness can travel together. When employees feel seen, valued, and occasionally amused, well-being rises and turnover drops.

What this means for HR leaders

HR has to balance two goals: protecting people’s mental health while maintaining performance. Fortunately, those goals go hand in hand.

Leaders who use humor appropriately send three powerful signals:

• You belong here.
• It’s safe to be imperfect.
• We can laugh our way through difficult days.

Feel-good fun builds trust faster than any policy. It creates a culture where people can breathe, contribute, and grow.

You can’t mandate joy, but you can model it. That’s the job of every HR leader – to set a tone of humanity. Laughing with people shows empathy. Laughing near them shows solidarity. And laughing when the printer jams for the fourth time in a row shows maturity.

The Bottom Line

Laughter isn’t a distraction from serious work. It’s the thing that makes serious work possible. It helps us recover, reconnect, and rediscover perspective.

Humour reminds us that behind every performance review is a person, and behind every stressful week is a story that might just be funny later.

So, this World Mental Health Day, don’t just focus on reducing stress. Focus on building strength. Start an “Oops Hour.” Create a “SAD” moment. Raise your team’s LPMs (Laughs Per Meeting).

When you help people laugh, you help them heal. And when that happens, work becomes not only more productive, but wonderfully, unmistakably human. And that can improve mental health every day. 

The nature of leadership is changing – and that change is long overdue. Where success was once measured solely by short-term delivery and top-down authority, today’s most effective leaders are those who prioritise adaptability, empathy, and human connection.

Today we are amid an encouraging shift in how firms view their people. Many are proactively recalibrating what a successful business culture looks like – moving away from ‘always-on’ habits and towards consciously sustainable models for growth, wellbeing and retention.

In the legal profession, that evolution hasn’t always been simple. With  83% of lawyers reporting feeling stressed some of the time, it’s no secret that legal roles can be demanding – often requiring long hours, critical thinking at speed, and high emotional intelligence. But rather than painting a negative picture, I see it as a sector full of potential: one that is embracing change, openly engaging with issues around workload, flexibility, and genuinely expressing a desire to support their people.

People-focused leadership is at the heart of that transformation. And today, HR professionals are better positioned than ever to drive it.

A new framework for leadership

For HR leaders working in, or alongside, professional services, the demands have increased – not just in complexity, but in scope. We’re no longer just creating policy or resolving issues reactively. Instead, we’re building trust-based systems, shaping inclusive strategy, and plugging people metrics directly into business conversations.

In my experience, three leadership traits truly stand out in today’s HR leaders – and all of them are transferable across sectors:

• Emotional awareness – Understanding what today’s workforce needs and listening actively to employee voice at every level.
• Pragmatic adaptability – Responding to what’s changing (whether that’s hybrid expectations, generational needs, or tech-driven transformation) with flexibility and clarity, rather than rigid process.
• Strategic influence – Guiding leaders to see people-first action not as a morale boost, but as a business imperative- backed by data, client outcomes, and retention results.

Law firms recognise this too. Those leading the way have HR teams that are integrated into leadership structures from the outset, involved in everything from legal operations design to strategic planning. 

Wellbeing: From initiative to infrastructure

Mental Health Awareness Week is a timely reminder that wellbeing in the workplace is more than just one-off sessions or temporary support offers. True change happens when systems are built with wellbeing embedded from the start.

The legal profession is no stranger to pressure and high expectations. But what’s changing now is the openness with which firms are tackling this head-on – whether by rethinking resourcing models, supporting managers with tools for psychologically safe conversations, or investing in new technologies that free up time for more meaningful work.

Those firms embracing wellbeing and flexibility see results that go far beyond morale: better retention, improved productivity, and stronger client relationships. And importantly, lawyers themselves understand that change matters – many actively seek out workplaces that value health as much as performance.

HR’s role is to help translate that expectation into operational design. That might include:

• Building annual leave usage into team KPIs – to avoid burnout by design, not just through reminders.
• Using engagement and exit insights to identify culture patterns early.
• Tracking wellbeing initiatives with the same rigour as revenue or utilisation.
• Supporting leadership to model vulnerability and balance, rather than reward overwork.

Technology is also a powerful tool in this space. From automated admin to AI-enhanced workflows, the legal sector is increasingly adopting tools that reduce repetitive tasks and improve flexibility. In fact, 43% of UK solicitors say AI has boosted their productivity, while over 20% report better mental health and work-life balance.  

Leadership through action

Leadership isn’t just about messaging- it’s about decisions. That’s something HR leaders know intuitively. What we encourage, what we ignore, how we use our calendars, how we close out the da –  it all sends a signal. Especially in a sector like law, where the smallest cues often set team norms.

So how can we be more proactive?

• Train managers in evidence-based approaches to mental wellbeing and workload management – particularly for high performers.
• Hold space for critical feedback and genuinely act on what’s being shared by employees across identities, career stages, and geographies.
• Define productivity in ways that serve both clients and employee health – not just traditional measures.

Even seemingly small steps, when taken consistently, can transform organisational culture.

The future of people-first strategy

Looking ahead, the firms that thrive – in legal and beyond – will be those that lead with clarity, credibility and care. That doesn’t mean flawless wellbeing dashboards or the promise of stress-free work. It means owning the link between sustainable careers, engaged employees, and long-term firm success.

HR has an opportunity to show what that looks like: enabling performance, building resilient leadership pipelines, and helping senior teams recognise that psychological safety and high-quality client work are not in opposition – they are deeply connected.

Having worked with law firms that are actively investing in people-first practices, I know the shift is already underway. Legal professionals want to build careers that are sustainable, values-aligned, and energising. The role of progressive HR is to help make that real – through design, leadership and action.

If we can centre wellbeing as a marker of business maturity – rather than a stand-alone project – then we can influence not only how we lead and retain people, but how whole professions evolve for the better.

As part of their holistic wellbeing strategy, L&G has established a strong and growing network of MHFAiders®, trained by MHFA England. Even though they have had trained Mental Health First Aiders for nearly a decade, they began working with MHFA England just before lockdown. L&G currently maintains a ratio of approximately one MHFAider for every 100 employees – the same ratio used for their physical first aiders and fire wardens. In total they have about 140 MHFAiders across the UK. This commitment places mental health on equal footing with physical health and safety, and ensures that employees have timely and visible access to peer support.

Mikahla Chapman is a Wellbeing and Inclusion Partner at L&G. Based in London and part of the Group HR team, she plays a central role in shaping and delivering the firm’s wellbeing strategy. Mikahla’s career has been rooted in diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a particular passion for mental health emerging during a graduate scheme placement. Prior to joining L&G in 2023 she has held various roles that straddle inclusion, wellbeing, and employee engagement – including international wellbeing lead at a global law firm.

The MHFAider programme at L&G: Recruitment and training

L&G’s MHFAiders are volunteers who express interest through an internal sign-up page. The demand is consistently high, with waitlists for training, which speaks to the level of interest and commitment from employees. The organisation runs around two new training cohorts per year, alongside refresher courses every three years to ensure continued confidence and competence in the role.

All MHFAider training is delivered exclusively by MHFA England – with Mikahla saying, “the quality and consistency of MHFA England’s training continues to be a key reason for maintaining our relationship with MHFA England.”

Standard of care

The original ratio of one MHFAider per 100 employees was set when the programme was first introduced and continues to guide current practice. This ratio aligns mental health provision with other safety roles in the business and ensures even coverage across departments and offices. The approach is not static – L&G is open to reviewing and adjusting the ratio to meet evolving workforce needs.

Structured Support for MHFAiders

Recognising that the MHFAider role can be emotionally demanding, L&G has taken deliberate steps to create a community of care around them. 

Key initiatives include:

• MHFAider ‘Town Halls’: Held approximately every six months, these virtual gatherings provide a space to check in, share experiences, and hear from guest speakers – often from health and benefits providers – on key topics like navigating triage processes or mental health resources
• Site sponsors: Each UK office has a dedicated MHFAider sponsor who acts as a regional point of contact, shares updates, and feeds local insights into a national strategy
• Agile response to trends: The team is responsive to feedback from MHFAiders. For example, when neurodiversity support needs were raised – especially during organisational change – this was added to future town hall agendas to explore tailored training or resource improvements
• Surveys and feedback: A recent internal survey captured how often MHFAiders are approached, what challenges they support, and whether they apply their training outside of work. This insight is helping shape future planning and identify opportunities for development

Recognition and visibility

L&G has embedded meaningful recognition into everyday culture:

• Digital thank yous: MHFAiders are frequently recognised via the internal e-card platform, offering personal notes of thanks from colleagues and managers
• Storytelling: The internal intranet often features personal wellbeing stories and MHFAider spotlights, showcasing lived experiences and championing the difference MHFAiders make
• Wellbeing expo events: These in-person events bring MHFAiders together with other internal support services to engage with employees and raise awareness of their role—helping them feel valued and visible across the business

Embedding wellbeing in organisational DNA

The MHFAider programme at L&G is more than a standalone initiative – it’s an embedded part of a wider strategy that treats mental health as integral to a thriving workplace. The organisation’s approach is proactive, inclusive, and underpinned by community.

As Mikahla puts it: “The work hasn’t stopped and won’t stop. If anything, we’re doubling down on inclusion and wellbeing, because we believe it’s fundamental to our people and to our business.”

L&G’s model shows that with the right infrastructure – voluntary engagement, formal training, ongoing support, and recognition – mental health peer support can be both sustainable and transformative.

This year’s theme for Mental Health Awareness Week is community. It’s one that should resonate deeply within our workplaces. In an era marked by rapid change and increasing pressures, building a sense of community is not just beneficial, it’s essential for the mental wellbeing of employees and the overall health of organisations.

What community does

Community provides a sense of belonging, support, and shared purpose. In the workplace, this translates to stronger team cohesion, increased employee engagement, and a culture where individuals feel valued and understood. 

A study by Great Places To Work UK, found that 78% of UK employees believe that having strong interpersonal relationships at work positively influences their job satisfaction. Additionally, the study revealed that employees who feel a strong sense of community are three times more likely to stay with their employer.

However, research published for our My Whole Self campaign revealed that only 17% of employees felt motivated to go to work each day, 1 in 10 said they never felt inspired by their job and less than a quarter felt enthusiastic about going to work each day. On top of this, one in five UK workers say they feel lonely at work. This highlights a concerning trend: a significant number of employees feel isolated and disconnected from their roles. This can lead to decreased productivity, higher turnover rates, and a decline in overall mental health.

Current challenges facing HR professionals

Ongoing dialogue around hybrid working models, economic uncertainties, and evolving employee expectations have added layers of complexity to workforce management. At the same time, some organisations are experiencing rollbacks in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, risking a reversal in progress towards more inclusive and psychologically safe workplaces. Together, these pressures demand a more strategic, values-led approach to people management. Moreover, the rise in mental health issues among employees necessitates proactive and comprehensive strategies to support wellbeing.

The challenge lies in creating inclusive environments where every employee feels connected, supported, and empowered to bring their whole selves to work. This requires intentional efforts to build and sustain workplace communities that prioritise mental health and inclusivity.

Connected communities

At MHFA England, we know that mentally healthy workplaces are underpinned by strong, connected communities. That’s why we focus on equipping individuals and organisations with the confidence and tools to support mental health every day, not just in a crisis.

Our flagship Mental Health First Aid training goes beyond awareness – it builds knowledge, skills, and confidence so people can play an active role in encouraging wellbeing at work. But we don’t stop at training. Every MHFAider gains access to the Association of Mental Health First Aiders – England’s first and only membership body for MHFAiders. It provides continuous development through exclusive resources, ongoing learning, and 24/7 digital support via the MHFAider Support App. This helps to ensure MHFAiders are confident, motivated, and equipped to carry out the role effectively.

By supporting prevention, early intervention, and recovery, we’re helping employers not only retain talent but also create environments where people can thrive.

Tips for building workplace communities

1. Cultivate open communication

Encourage regular check-ins and open conversations to help normalise mental health discussions and build a supportive culture. Our free My Whole Self: My plan for working well is a proactive tool that helps employees and managers identify what supports their wellbeing. Used alongside other, free, My Whole Self resources, it helps create psychologically safe workplaces—boosting engagement, morale, and performance by encouraging open dialogue and trust.

2. Promote inclusivity

Implement policies and practices that celebrate diversity and ensure that all employees feel valued and included. This includes recognising and accommodating different cultural backgrounds, identities, and experiences.

3. Encourage peer support

Establish peer support networks or employee resource groups (ERGs) and buddy systems to facilitate connections among employees. These networks can provide informal support and nurture a sense of belonging. 

Recognising and celebrating team and individual accomplishments is also an important part of building community in the workplace. Acknowledging successes can boost morale and reinforce a sense of community.

4. Invest in training

Empowering employees and managers with mental health training is a vital step but it should only ever be part of a wider, strategic commitment to wellbeing. This includes clear policies, access to professional support, and visible leadership backing. 

Looking Ahead

Mental Health Awareness Week 2025 is the perfect time for organisations to reflect on their workplace cultures and consider how they can strengthen their communities. Building a supportive and inclusive workplace is not a one-time initiative but an ongoing commitment.

By prioritising mental health and cultivating a sense of community, organisations can create environments where employees thrive, leading to increased engagement, productivity, and overall organisational success.

At MHFA England, we are dedicated to supporting organisations on this journey. Together, we can create mentally healthy workplaces where people, communities, and business thrive.

While asking your workforce how they are feeling and how they relate to their work might be a first step towards engaging with them, any inquisition must be followed up by real action.

This was one of the clear learning points which emerged from The HR World’s webinar, Engaging Times: Quick and easy ways to motivate employees. Sponsored by emPerform who were represented by their Sales Director Chris Knight, the webinar also drew from the experience and thoughts of HR professionals, Dina Knight – Chief People Officer, DataTec and Logicalis, and Karina Paschalis – Human Resources Business Partner, Canvas Offices.

The discussion covered all aspects of engaging people, from the current challenge of meeting the requirements of a diverse and demanding workforce to building a company culture that attracts and retains talent. What emerged from the discussion was that while technology and processes can be designed to adapt for and reach across a diverse workforce, keeping initiatives simple and straightforward is often the most effective way to show that people matter.

Drawing from their diverse experience the panelists explored how engagement can be difficult to achieve in today’s world, but also revealed the benefits organisations can achieve from getting this right. Not only does it mean your workforce is less likely to leave and more likely to deliver good work, but there’s a deeper, wider benefit. Work, after all, takes up a lot of our lives. Ensuring people are engaged with it, and feel they matter could be seen as making the world a better place.