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Tackling race hate incidents in the workplace

Tackling race hate incidents in the workplace

Race hate incidents are acts of violence or hostility against people because of their race and are illegal in criminal law. If these occur in the workplace, they are also unlawful race discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 and can amount to gross misconduct for example, where one employee threatens another employee with physical violence because of the colour of their skin. Employees expect to be treated fairly and considerately in the workplace. When it comes to issues of race discrimination and race hate, fair treatment is a moral and legal duty and employers have a responsibility to investigate and respond to any issue they become aware of, as well as take all reasonable measures to protect employees from harassment…
Dr Neil Thompson
July 7, 2020
Neil Thompson’s Lesson for Living – Dress for the part

Neil Thompson’s Lesson for Living – Dress for the part

‘I should be able to wear what I want and not be judged’ said one participant on a training course I was running. I agreed with her, particularly the word ‘should’, but I had to point out that people do attach significance to what we wear, even though ideally that should not happen. Our clothing is part of nonverbal communication. Whether we intend it or not, whether we agree with it or not, what we wear provides information about us that other people will generally attach significance to. For example, you may be highly committed to a job you are applying for, but if you turn up for the interview wearing jeans and a T-shirt, it is highly likely you…
Dr Neil Thompson
June 23, 2020
Study suggests need for UK employers to offer employee mental wellbeing support

Study suggests need for UK employers to offer employee mental wellbeing support

A survey of 2,000 UK consumers by digital health company BioBeats suggests that nearly a quarter (21 percent) of UK employees say that their mental health will be negatively impacted by extending remote working measures post-lockdown. Only 5 percent of respondents state that their mental health will improve as a result of extended remote working but alarmingly only 3 percent say they would ask for help in coping with this new way of working, which presents a striking gap between employees’ needs and their ability to seek support from their employer. Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
June 23, 2020
Advice on supporting each other at work following the death of a colleague

Advice on supporting each other at work following the death of a colleague

The realities of Covid-19 means that there are additional challenges for people mourning the death of a colleague due to the lack of access to support from friends, family and colleagues. The British Psychological Society’s Covid-19 bereavement task force has launched a new document, ‘Supporting each other following the death of a colleague’, to help people understand their feelings and reaction if they do lose a colleague during this time. Professor Nichola Rooney, chair of the task force, said: “Sadly, many people have been bereaved during the Covid-19 pandemic, with some grieving the death of a colleague. We spend a lot of time at work and often form close bonds with people we work with, so losing a colleague at…
Dr Neil Thompson
June 23, 2020
Seth Godin’s blog – The dominant culture

Seth Godin’s blog – The dominant culture

One of the great cartoons involves two goldfish in a tank talking to one another. One responds in surprise, “wait, there’s water?” When we don’t see the water, it’s a sign we’re benefitting from being part of the dominant culture. And since we’re not fish, we can learn to see the water and figure out how it is affecting us and the people around us. Visit a country where they don’t speak English and you’ll probably remind yourself all day that you speak English, something you didn’t have to think about last week. You’ll have to work overtime to understand and communicate. Back home, that stress disappears. Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
June 23, 2020
Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living – Look for reasons not causes

Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living – Look for reasons not causes

People commonly talk about what causes a particular behaviour or reaction. However, as it is people we are talking about, it makes more sense to talk about reasons, rather than causes. Human beings exist in a social context that is very powerful in its wide range of influences and we are, of course, subject to certain biological forces and constraints. But none of this removes human ‘agency’, to use the technical term, the ability to make choices. If we are looking for causes not reasons, we can be neglecting some key aspects of how a situation arose or how it is likely to unfold. Of course, it would be naïve not to recognize that we do not have complete control…
Dr Neil Thompson
June 9, 2020