Another Change to Holiday Pay?

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An important judgment last year, in the case known as Harpur Trust, confirmed that part-year workers (those who don’t work all year round) are entitled to a larger holiday entitlement than part-time workers who work the same total number of hours across the year. 

This has caused anxiety for particular employers where workers might be employed to work part of the year only, for example in hospitality during busy times such as Christmas or over the Summer.

If this does impact you, then you’ll be interested to know that the Government have just announced a consultation to try to ensure that holiday pay and entitlement received by workers is proportionate to the time they spend working. 

As the law currently stands when you are calculating holiday pay you need to count back 52 weeks to work out average pay, but crucially you must skip any weeks when no pay is earned. 

The Government’s proposal is that employers can just count back 52 weeks, whether or not anything is earned in those weeks. This will almost certainly reduce the amount of holiday pay for part year workers. The Government’s impact assessment calculated that this change will save businesses £113m per annum.

The consultation runs till early March and we will let you know what the result is. We suggest you take legal advice about what, if anything, you should do about holiday pay for part year workers until we know the outcome of the consultation. 

If there is anything you would like to discuss about holiday pay queries please contact Sarah Martin in our team on 07799 136091.

Teacher Strikes – What Options Are Available for Working Parents? 

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With planned strike action in England and Wales in the coming months, many working parents and carers will face challenges with childcare provisions. How can employers support their affected employees?

Union members are not required to share their intention to strike in advance, so it is very challenging for schools to anticipate the impact on their staffing levels and attempt to source adequate cover.

While the impact within early years settings is hoped to be less significant than within schools, some may also need to close as a result of employee absence. For some employees, particularly those with young children, it may not be possible to continue to work at all if their childcare provider or school is closed and they have no alternative support. 

How Can Employers Support?

During the pandemic, employers had to think creatively about how some employees could continue to work whilst juggling childcare responsibilities. Now is a good time for managers and working parents to revisit these contingency plans. This might include flexibility on when they work, for example, working during the evenings or swapping a working day, or temporary home working.

It may help to start the conversation early, reminding parents of local strike action dates. Some may have support with childcare available from family members, which may enable them to continue to work. For others, there may not be a ‘Plan B’ so it is important to be clear on how absence will be managed on these dates.

The following types of leave can be considered:

  • Annual leave – If the employee has sufficient annual leave, they may wish to request this according to your policy. However, it’s important to remember that annual leave is limited and if there are a significant number of days where strike action will disrupt their childcare provision they may be left with minimal annual leave to take holidays later in the year.
  • Taking time off for dependents – In most cases this is unlikely to be appropriate as the strike dates have been communicated some way in advance. However, employees have a right to absence to care for dependents where their care has broken down unexpectedly. The statutory right is to unpaid leave in these circumstances, although some organisations have now chosen to provide pay in support of working parents/carers.
  • Time off in lieu (TOIL) – Where an employee has worked a number of additional hours without pay, you may allow them to take this time ‘back’ as TOIL. As an employer, you may already have a policy on how TOIL is managed in your organisation and employees would need to follow the requirements for recording and requesting this leave.
  • Parental leave – Employees have a right to request unpaid parental leave up to a maximum of 18 weeks in total, before the child’s 18th birthday. Ordinarily, 21 days’ notice of the intention to take parental leave is required and it is usually taken in blocks of one week. Where only one day is required, this is recorded as a full week of the entitlement.
  • Unpaid leave – A final option to consider is to allow parents or carers to request unpaid leave. You may have a policy regarding unpaid leave that needs to be followed. 

We would encourage employers to be as flexible as possible. Working parents or carers may find this situation particularly stressful and disruptive both at work and at home. You may wish to remind your employees of any workplace sources of support that you offer, for example, via an Employee Assistance Programme.

For support on how you can best support your working parents and carers during the teacher strikes, or how to navigate more complex situations, please contact Kathryn Chidzey-Jones in our team on 07881 092524.

How to Embrace Neurodiversity at Work and Maximise Your Talent Pool

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There is a vast pool of neurodiverse candidates seeking employment in the UK. However, many organisations are missing out on talented individuals due to stigma, or by not maximising opportunities with their recruitment strategy.

There is a long history of negative stigma around employing neurodiverse people, as many employers fear that those with neurological differences, such as Autism and Dyslexia, would not be able to do the job as well as other neurotypical employees.

This stigma can leave neurodivergent colleagues feeling misjudged. According to recent research, 6 out of 10 neurodivergent individuals have experienced stigma or felt misunderstood during their careers. This could be due to feeling unsupported at work, or feeling judged by their diagnosis and any accommodations they have in the workplace.

Thankfully, this is changing. Today, many organisations now understand that this isn’t the case and there has been an uptake of training in the topic and increasing engagement to learn more. However, we’ve still got a long way to go to reduce the impact of these negative misconceptions.

Why Is It Important to Attract Neurodiverse Talent?

By identifying ideal roles for neurodivergent staff and limiting potential barriers, organisations can create a neurodiverse workplace with increased creativity, new ideas and fresh perspectives.

As well as their individual strengths, neurodivergent employees often possess highly desirable skills and attributes, such as:

  • reliability, conscientiousness and persistence
  • high levels of concentration
  • detailed factual knowledge and an excellent memory
  • attention to detail and the ability to identify errors
  • strong technical abilities in their specialist areas
  • creativity, especially in visual or spatial or process activities
  • high levels of intellect
  • the ability to look at the bigger picture and think laterally

Top Tips for Attracting Neurodiverse Talent

When considering your recruitment strategy for attracting a more neurodiverse workforce we suggest you implement these top tips:

Promote Disclosure

Make sure you offer candidates the opportunity to disclose any conditions that they may have, throughout the recruitment process. This may be by using open questions in your application forms for example. Ensure any disclosures are met with a supportive response, with a discussion around adjustments and support they would need in order to give the best account of themselves.

Make an Informed Recruitment Decision

By offering multiple opportunities for candidates to demonstrate their competence and being flexible in the ways you gather information you can make an informed recruitment decision.

Be Objective 

Ensure you have a panel of interviewers or have multiple stages in the recruitment process to reduce any unconscious bias and ensure decision making is fair and objective. 

Consider Language

Questions asked during interviews may be interpreted differently between candidates. Ensure that your questions are clear and re-phrase them if there is any confusion to ensure a level playing field. You may need to adapt your communication style for candidates, as a manager would in any team environment. 

Increase Knowledge

Training is helpful for all staff, but particularly for those involved in recruitment, neurodiversity awareness training we can highlight the strengths that come from different thinking, and reduce the impact of stigma in the workplace. It also helps those with line management responsibilities to understand how to better support neurodivergent staff, and what support they can offer to make the workplace more inclusive for all.

If you would like to discuss neurodiversity awareness training for your organisation feel free to contact Helen Couchman in our team on 07799 901669. 

Menopause Not Set to Become a Protected Characteristic

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With just over 15 million women in the workplace, the last few years has seen a welcome focus on how the menopause can impact staff and what employers can do to best assist women through this stage.

Last week the Government responded to the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee report Menopause and the Workplace (July 2022). 

The report had made a number of recommendations, including:

  • introducing sex and age as a single dual protected characteristic under the Equalities Act 2010 to protect women going through menopause
  • launching a consultation on how to amend the Equalities Act 2010 to include ‘menopause’ as a new protected characteristic

What Are The Government’s Plans?

The Government’s response does not accept either of these recommendations, pointing to existing protections available for those experience menopause. This response was in many ways as expected and in accordance with previous government statements. 

However, the Government has, in part, accepted some of the Committee’s other recommendations, including the appointment of a Menopause Ambassador/Champion, a ministerial appointment within the Department for Work and Pensions; and, bringing forward legislation to make the right to request flexible working a day one employment right. 

No timetable has been announced in respect of introducing these provisions. We will keep you posted as and when the Government releases further details, and provide information of how they may affect your business.

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How Can You Best Support Staff Going Through Menopause?

You may want to consider how best to support any staff currently going through the menopause. This could include:

  • Introduce a Menopause Policy for staff. Many of you will have already done this, it is a useful way to show your support for staff, emphasise your commitment to addressing the impact of menopause and a useful way to channel any queries from staff.
  • Appoint a Menopause Champion to act as a central point of contact for staff.
  • Provide training for line managers on the symptoms of menopause and how to support and speak with staff who may be experiencing symptoms. This can be a sensitive subject and line managers are often the first point of contact for staff and may need guidance on how best to approach conversations such as this.
  • Consider what can be done to help staff experiencing the menopause, for example considering home working and adjusting working times.
  • Reviewing the working environment to ensure it is conducive to working if a member of staff is experiencing the menopause – for example, the room temperature and access to toilets.
  • Create an open and trusted environment for staff. Implementing the recommendations above will help you to do this. Menopausal symptoms can be managed in a way that supports staff to be able to continue to work in the best interests of your business.

For further information or to discuss how NQHR can help your business to support staff please contact Rachel Brodie in our team on 07881 092528.

Work Christmas Parties – How To Avoid a HR Headache

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Organising an office Christmas party and want to avoid any HR issues? Read our top tips for how to help everyone in your workplace have a positive office Christmas party experience. 

After years of a pandemic, economic downturns, cost of living crisis, political upheavals and concerning world events, employers are looking to their annual Christmas event to bring some much-needed cheer. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate with staff and thank them for their contribution over the past year. 

But could those plans go awry, leaving you haunted by the ghost of Christmas future (disciplinaries)?

Bah humbug I hear you cry! For who wants to be cast as Scrooge at this time, being seen as the killjoys to some harmless fun? But where there are company-wide parties, there can be alcohol and over-indulgence. Light-hearted banter can escalate into full scale arguments and those long-forgotten frustrations may resurrect themselves, causing tension around the dinner table.

Get the Balance Right

Getting the balance right is critical – allowing people to have fun, whilst looking after their wellbeing. With increased hybrid and remote working, it is also a chance to bring people together and maintain a strong team ethos and build a connection with the company. 

Similarly, hosting an event can make staff feel valued and recognised for their efforts over the past months, fostering higher levels of engagement.

However, it’s also important to be aware of the potential factors which may have a negative impact on employee wellbeing, and how you could best manage these.

Keep an Eye on Alcohol Consumption

Providing a free bar all night can encourage excessive drinking and increase the likelihood of staff behaving inappropriately. You can manage this by offering a set number of complimentary drinks instead and allocating a ‘drinks host’ per table, allowing for some control over the volume of alcohol consumed. It’s also important to make sure that everyone’s catered for, ensuring non-alcoholic drinks are also available.

Manage Anti-Social Behaviour

With the flow of alcohol in large gatherings, it can lead to some anti-social or unwanted behaviour which can have serious consequences. Even where parties are not on your company premises, they are still an extension of your workplace and therefore you may still be liable for any discriminatory behaviour such as sexual harassment or similar claims. Ensure staff are fully aware of your expectations by reminding them of your policies on dignity and respect and on drugs and alcohol misuse. 

Give consideration to the inclusivity of your party arrangements: – whether that’s catering for all dietary requirements, being considerate of timings, venue and accessibility requirements too.

Don’t Exclude Anyone

Not all religions or faiths celebrate Christmas and not everyone likes a party, so attendance should be optional. Some individuals simply don’t like to mix work and social life so it’s important that those individuals are not put under pressure or harassed for non-attendance. Ensure that people’s decisions not to attend is respected and supported. 

Despite their repeated requests over many, many years, Wizzard have not been granted their wish for Christmas to come every day. Which means that employers usually only need to plan for and manage such wide-scale company celebrations on an annual basis.

Getting those plans and logistics right can ensure a joyful start to the New Year for everyone. But get it wrong and you could find the repercussions are felt throughout the year – whether that’s poor engagement scores, grievances or disciplinaries.

We can support you with a wide range of HR services. For specialist HR support with any of these issues, please contact Sue Meehan Boyes in our team on 07384 468797.

Fertility Workplace Pledge Offers Greater Workplace Support

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The new Workplace Fertility Pledge has been launched to give individuals and couples undergoing fertility treatment statutory time off work.

An estimated 3.5 million people in the UK struggle to conceive naturally and look to treatments like IVF to help them to conceive. 

Sarah Martin from the Narrow Quay HR team shares her personal journey with managing fertility treatments alongside work, and how this new pledge could make a huge difference to employees who are undergoing similar treatments.

Managing Work and IVF 

Between the ages of 29 and 34 I went through four cycles of IVF, so I can say first hand that it is a gruelling experience. The medication, the side effects, the multiple appointments and then the dreaded two week wait to see if it’s been successful, following by the crushing disappointment when it doesn’t work.

I took a couple of years off before we embarked on the fourth cycle, to mentally regroup and recharge. When we got to round four, with finances depleted and three unsuccessful rounds behind us, we decided it was time to take a slightly different approach. 

We decided that I would drop from working five days a week to four days to allow me to spend more time focussing on treatment and other holistic treatments, such as acupuncture. This was in 2013, so flexible and part time working was not really a thing for women in their early thirties with no children, especially in the legal sector. In addition, I hadn’t really shared with many of my work colleagues that I was having IVF treatment, something which is of course entirely personal to the individual.

My line manager was hugely supportive and because of the nature of my role at the time, I was able to make the adjustment. The only tricky part was how to communicate the change to the rest of the team, but when it came to it nobody really asked any questions.

What Is the New Fertility Workplace Pledge?

Fast forward to 2022 and the new Fertility Workplace Pledge, which has been launched by Nickie Aiken MP. Several major employers have now signed up to it, including Co-op, Natwest, Metro Bank and Channel 4.

By signing up, employers pledge to provide the following:

  • Accessible information: Having an accessible workplace fertility policy to create an open culture free from stigma, to make sure employees feel comfortable in the workplace, and to prevent the best talent from leaving.
  • Awareness in the workplace: Establishing the role of Fertility Ambassador to open conversations internally and make people aware of available support.
  • Staff training: Ensuring line managers understand the realities of treatment for employees including the physical, mental, and financial impact — and how they can support someone going through it.
  • Flexible working: Giving the right for employees to request flexible working, including reasonable working adjustments, so they can attend appointments.

These are simple, common sense pledges that have the potential to make a huge difference to employees undergoing treatment and to those supporting their partners going through treatment.

How Can Employers Sign Up to the Pledge?

Signing up to the pledge is entirely voluntary, but if employers are keen to do so, then can do so here. 

For those who are interested, but perhaps not sure about signing up, you can still think about how you might follow some or all of the steps highlighted above in order to make your workplace more fertility treatment friendly for your staff.

For me it was a happy ending, our fourth round of IVF treatment was successful and I gave birth to twins in September 2014. I can’t say if being able to work flexibly was a factor in that but it certainly made the process a lot easier. 

For further information on the Fertility Workplace Pledge or flexible working, contact Sarah Martin in our team on 07799 136091. 

How Flexible Should Flexible Working Really Be?

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Did you know those without access to flexible working are twice as likely to be dissatisfied in their job? How should employers navigate flexible working requests?

During the pandemic, the CIPD called for flexible working to become a ‘day one’ right, with its Flex From 1st Campaign.

The CIPD’s Flex From 1st Campaign called for flexible working to becoming a ‘day one’ right, and in June 2021 the Flexible Working Bill was first introduced. It recommended that flexible working should be the default position for all workers post-pandemic.

Although this is yet to be enforced and we have seen a rise in flexible and hybrid working, CIPD research suggests that 46% of UK employees still do not have access to any form of flexible working in their current role. 

Flexible working opportunities can benefit everyone: employers, employees and their families. Offering flexible working can also help with the recruitment and retention of staff and promotes a healthy work-life balance.

How Can Employers Be More Flexible?

With the Flexible Working Bill having had a second review in October 2022, the Government has now committed to a number of changes, including a requirement that employers must consult with workers before rejecting an application, in an effort to explore all of the available options before rejecting the request. 

We take a look at best practice when it comes to managing requests for flexible working. 

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Ask for the Request in Writing 

The requirement for an employee to set out how the effects of their flexible working request might be dealt with by their employer will be removed, but the request should still be made in writing. 

Arguably, this requirement will encourage the employee to really think about their request and how this might work best for your business, but it also allows you some time to give it some serious thought and come back to the employee once you’ve done so. 

Meet with the Employee Promptly

You might have had some informal conversations about the request and that’s fine – part of the rationale for the changes is to try to normalise the process but you should still arrange a more formal meeting to discuss it. 

Try to meet with the employee as soon as possible after the request has been made. This will help you to get a better understanding of the changes the employee is looking to make, and consider whether the change needs to be permanent or temporary, and how it could be of benefit to both of you. 

Don’t be afraid to ask questions around the reason for making the request. It could make all the difference and help you to reach an agreement you are both happy with. However, you should always be guided by the employee if discussions become ‘sensitive’, and remember that consultation is a two way process!

Consider the Request Fairly and Look at Alternative Options

Whilst consistency is key, each request should be taken on its own merits as each employee’s circumstances will differ and so will their reason for making the request. If it’s just not workable, employers will now need to consider other options and whether a compromise could better suit your workplace. 

Notify the Employee of Your Decision

Be sure to meet with the employee and confirm your decision. This allows you to feedback on your decision making process, what you have taken into consideration, and why you might not be able to agree to their request. It’s important to base your decision on facts and not personal opinion, and the employee will be more accepting of your decision if they understand the reason behind it. 

It’s always best to follow the Acas Code of Practice on flexible working requests | Acas.

For more support around how best to consult with your employees and manage a flexible working request, please contact Kirsty Hunt in our team on 07384 813077. 

National Minimum Wage Increase & The Cost of Living Crisis

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The Government has announced an increase in National Minimum Wage and National Living wage – but with the increasing pressure of the cost of living crisis, how can employers offer support to employees alongside adhering to wage increases.

What Are the New Rates?

The Government has announced changes to National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) coming into effect from April 2023.

From 1 April 2023 the following increases in rates will be introduced:

  • 92p increase to the NLW for those aged 23 and over (from £9.50 – £10.42 per hour)
  • £1, or 10.9% increase for those aged 21-22 (from £9.18 to £10.18 per hour). This increase is intended to narrow the gap with the NLW and put this age group on course to receive the full NLW by 2024
  • 66p, or 9.7% increase for those aged 18-20 (from £6.63 to £7.49 per hour)
  • 47p, or 9.7% increase for those aged 16-17 (from £4.81 to £5.28 per hour) and
  • 47p increase in the apprentice rate (from £4.81 to £5.28 per hour)

Increasing Pressure

These latest changes will provide much-needed support for low-paid workers at a time when many are feeling increased pressure from a rising cost of living. 

However, the current cost of living crisis is having a hugely negative impact on employee’s financial and mental wellbeing and for many can be a constant source of worry and stress that can cause distraction and dis-engagement at work. 

What can you do, as employers, to support your employees when businesses are also feeling the pinch and inflation has reached a record high?

Lightening the Load – How Can You Help?

  • Travel costs can be really expensive. Allow flexibility on working from home to minimise the travel costs for your employees. If you require them in the office full time are you able to consider contributing to the cost of travel, such as season ticket loans or bus passes?
  • Ensure you get the payroll right and pay your employees on time. Any delays or errors could have a significant effect on your employee’s being able to budget their spending in the month and could result in them being charged by their banks if their accounts become overdrawn.
  • Ensure employees are aware of any employee assistance programmes (EAP) you offer which could provide practical financial and emotional support confidentially.
  • Provide links to financial or debt support that might be available – charities such as StepChange are a good resource. 
  • Ensure your benefits are up-to-date and in place, such as free eye tests, discounted food at local establishments close to the office, subsidised gym memberships or ability to sell annual leave if it is not used at the end of the year.
  • You could provide fruit, drinks and snacks in the office to reduce the cost of bringing or buying lunch or make sure there are clean and well maintained fridges and microwaves are available so people can easily bring in food from home, which is often a cheaper option than having to go out and buy something.
  • Review your family friendly policies and signpost parents to the Government’s 30 hours free childcare scheme and possible tax reductions if they are eligible. 

By offering your employees a forum to talk about any concerns they may have it also provides a sense of support. If you have mental health first aiders they can be a good point of contact and will be able to signpost them to internal and external resources and will also keep an eye those employees who are potentially more vulnerable. 

Even implementing a few of these ideas could make a real difference to your employees financial and emotional wellbeing and will give them the knowledge that you care and you are approachable if they need support. 

If you’d like tailored HR advice on any of these issues or concerns, please get in touch with Helen Couchman in our team on 07799 901 669. 

Workplace Bullying – Is Your Workplace a ‘Bully-Free’ Zone?

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In recognition of Anti-Bullying week (14-18 November 2022), we are shining a spotlight on workplace bullying and provide guidance on how to best eliminate this destructive behaviour from our workplaces.

What Is Workplace Bullying?

While there is no legal definition of workplace bullying, ACAS defines bullying as: unwanted behaviour from a person or group that is either:

  • offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting
  • an abuse or misuse of power that undermines, humiliates or causes physical or emotional harm to someone

Although this is not an exhaustive list, workplace bullying includes:

  • gossiping and spreading rumours
  • ignoring or excluding others 
  • making insulting, offensive and inappropriate comments or ‘jokes’
  • setting unrealistic deadlines and unattainable tasks 
  • withholding information and undermining others
  • denying someone promotion or training opportunities

In the event that bullying in the workplace is linked to a protected characteristic (as defined in the Equality Act, i.e. age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, disability, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation), it may constitute harassment, and will therefore be protected and addressed in terms of discrimination law. 

What Is the Impact of Workplace Bullying?

  • Increase in mental health concerns.
  • A toxic workplace culture.
  • High staff turnover and inability to attract new staff and talent.
  • Increase in workplace disputes and litigation costs.

How Can employers Prevent Bullying in the Workplace?

  • Implement anti-bullying and harassment policies and procedures, ensuring that the company culture and working environment is regularly assessed in light of these policies.
  • Conduct awareness training for staff in respect of bullying and harassment.
  • Ensure that all complaints are addressed and taken seriously. This includes conducting proper workplace investigations. 
  • Ensure that staff follow applicable internal procedures in order to address bullying and harassment at an early stage.
  • In appropriate circumstances, consider using alternate dispute resolution mechanisms, such as workplace mediation. 
  • Focus on creating positive and inclusive working environments that do not enable or foster a culture of workplace bullying and harassment.

If you would like specialist support and assistance with any of the outlined measures, please contact Megan Britz in our team on 07468 698957. 

Supporting Employees Through Pregnancy or Baby Loss

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An estimated one in four pregnancies in the UK end in loss, yet this can be a hidden issue in the workplace. How can employers provide compassionate and inclusive support for those affected, throughout all stages of pregnancy and baby loss?

Many employers in the UK are working hard to achieve a workplace culture that is compassionate, inclusive and supportive. Getting this right is proven to positively impact an employee’s mental wellbeing, as well as their performance, commitment and intention to stay with their employer.

Do your policies and practices measure up? 

Navigating the Deeply Emotional and Personal Journey of Pregnancy or Baby Loss

For employees experiencing pregnancy or baby loss, this will be an extremely challenging time. Often employers are not supporting their employees as well as they could – perhaps because it has previously been a hidden subject in the workplace, considered too personal to openly discuss, or that employers and managers fear getting it wrong and treating the matter without the required sensitivity. 

A recent report from CIPD demonstrates that there is a significant gap in workplace support, as evidenced by their latest survey results, leaving almost a quarter of employees considering leaving their job because of their experience in work in relation to pregnancy or baby loss.

How Does Your Organisation Offer Support, and Could You be Doing More?

  • Paid compassionate leave or other special leave? Nearly half of the employees surveyed (46%) said that such leave was/would have been beneficial. However, whilst paid compassionate leave may seem an obvious option for employees who have experienced pregnancy or baby loss, the new research shows that only 25% of employees received paid compassionate leave or other special leave in addition to any statutory entitlement such as sick pay.
  • A formal policy to support employees experiencing pregnancy or baby loss? Only one in three employers have a formal policy, to help employees and employers navigate this.
  • Understanding from your managers? 60% of employees who experienced pregnancy or baby loss felt their managers failed to show understanding. Of those, 70% agreed that understanding and support from their manager(s) would have been beneficial. This may be a training need for your managers, to upskill them and give them greater confidence in handling tricky or sensitive conversations.
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  • An open and supportive climate, where employees can talk about sensitive issues like pregnancy or baby loss? Only a quarter of the senior HR professionals and decision makers surveyed said that their organisation encourages a supportive, open culture to facilitate sensitive topics like these being discussed. Perhaps reflect on whether you could be doing more to build and maintain a supportive environment for your staff.
  • Paid time off to attend appointments? This was identified by employees as one of the top three forms of employer support which would have been most helpful to employees experiencing loss (alongside paid compassionate leave, and understanding from managers).

Pregnancy and baby loss affects people across the UK every day, and the impact is felt not only by the grieving mother, but also by their partner and their family members, including for example the potential grandparents who may be supporting their adult children through associated surgical procedures and the grief process, whilst of course also grieving themselves.

Please contact Jo Bradbury in our team on 07570 372118, if you would like to explore how we can help your organisation ensure an approach which is underpinned by the principles of flexibility, empathy and inclusivity.