Two articles I've read recently have had me contemplating the same question: could there be a point at which the inability to get to grips with employee wellbeing starts to become a breach of an employer's duty of care?
The HSE explains the duty of care as follows:
‘It is an employer's duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees and other people who might be affected by their business. Employers must do whatever is reasonably practicable to achieve this.’
While it’s fair (and understandable) to say most effort over the decades has gone into fulfilling the duty of care in terms of the physical risks employees face, there’s growing acknowledgement of the fact that mental health and wellbeing is a vital part of employee welfare.
But are employers doing anything meaningful about this? And could ignoring the mental wellbeing of employees be in breach of an employer's duty of care?
You can read my thoughts on this topic here.
