Wednesday 2nd October 2019

With World Mental Health Day on 10 October 2019, national law firm Stone King is getting behind the campaign to promote mental wellbeing in the workplace, both as an employer and an employment law expert.

Polly O’Malley, Partner in Stone King’s Employment Team, said: “Employees have a wide range of legal rights protecting their mental health within the workplace, for example under the common law duty of care and the Equality Act 2010, among other regulations. It is important that employers are aware of their legal responsibilities and not least because a healthy workforce increases performance and ultimately profitability, so it is in everyone’s interest to prioritise wellbeing in the workplace.

More detail about employer’s legal responsibilities and some practical tips to protect mental health in the workplace are available in our article: Wellbeing in the workplace: employers responsibilities to employees

As an employer, Stone King is committed to raising awareness of the importance of good mental wellbeing and has organised a number of events across its offices to mark #WorldMentalHealthDay. Earlier this year the firm signed the Mindful Business Charter, which is supported by mental health charity Mind and The Law Society, and it is one year since the firm launched its wellbeing champion network, to help open up the conversation around mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.

Stone King’s wellbeing champions have implemented various initiatives, such as organised lunchtime walks, training up a mental health first aider, wellbeing breakfasts and promotion of mindfulness and wellbeing through various other activities.

In turn, Stone King’s people voted for their charity of the year to be Mind, with firm-wide fundraising activities throughout the year supporting this cause, so the importance of mental health is clearly valued throughout the firm.