I recently attended the Mental Health First Aider course and found it to be an excellent experience.My instructor Paul Simmonds was very approachable, friendly and created a comfortable environment for learning.The course content was very insightful and engaging, offering valuable knowledge that I feel confident applying in real situations.Overall, I really enjoyed the course and would happily recommend it to others.D. Robinson - Clearflow Ltd<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="link" href="https://www.ssg.co.uk/courses/mhfaiders">Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAiders®)</a>

Mental Health First Aiders - Paul Simmonds

Excellent and insightful Mental Health First Aider course

A recent study of 2,000 UK employees has identified the habits that annoy co-workers the most!The research conducted by Essential Workwear found that 10% of workers admit to regularly leaving dirty cups and dishes lying around and a third of workers dislike colleagues that do not tidy up after themselves.22% of workers get annoyed by colleagues that microwave smelly food at lunchtimes, exacerbating the risk of arguments in communal break out areas!The research also identified the most inappropriate behaviours of co-workers. The top 5 inappropriate behaviours are:<ol><li>Flirting with colleagues</li><li>Discussing a dislike of a colleague</li><li>Scrolling social media</li><li>Taking smoking breaks</li><li>Putting on makeup or doing their hair at work</li></ol>22% of UK workers say they find it annoying when a colleague skips a tea round!<h3 id="51cdfba8-526d-4d0e-b068-8b7e6450914e" data-toc-id="51cdfba8-526d-4d0e-b068-8b7e6450914e">How should you deal with annoying office behaviours?</h3><ul><li>Do not let it build up as you risk letting out your frustrations through an emotional reaction at a later point about something relatively minor.</li><li>Have a gentle conversation that focuses on your productivity and not the personality of the co-worker. Instead of telling someone they are “being annoying” try explaining that you are finding it difficult to focus on a complex task. Perhaps ask if your colleague could wear headphones for a while. Such an approach helps avoid direct confrontation.</li><li>If your issue relates to the laziness of a co-worker then raise it with your manager. Focus on the impact the behaviour has on you and your productivity. Explain how your co-workers delays or poor-quality output affect your ability to do your job well. Taking this approach focuses on the practical success of the organisation rather than the character of your co-worker. This approach is more likely to achieve the change you are wanting.</li><li>If you are feeling social rejection for being omitted from a tea round then that is a natural reaction because your brain processes social exclusion in the same area that it processes physical pain. So don’t be afraid to express how being excluded by co-workers makes you feel.</li></ul>Source: Gavin Parrott

A recent study of 2,000 UK employees has identified the habits that annoy co-workers the most!

Workplace etiquette – what most bothers work colleagues?

Every year on 28 April, the World Day for Safety and Health at Work shines a spotlight on a simple but critical message: safety at work is not optional - it’s fundamental.While World Health Day focuses on overall wellbeing, this day brings that message firmly into the workplace, reminding businesses that health and safety are shared responsibilities that require consistent action, not just awareness.For organisations across the UK, particularly those operating in higher-risk environments, it’s a moment to ask an important question:<figure data-type="blockquoteFigure"><div><blockquote>Are we doing enough to protect our people every day?</blockquote><figcaption></figcaption></div></figure><div data-type="horizontalRule"><hr></div><h2 id="89a35f13-6ce7-49fd-9e40-78dbc72b04b4" data-toc-id="89a35f13-6ce7-49fd-9e40-78dbc72b04b4">From awareness to accountability</h2>If World Health Day is about understanding risk, the World Day for Safety and Health at Work is about managing it.It’s about turning awareness into clear processes, strong leadership and practical action.Workplace safety is not just about policies or paperwork, it’s about:<ul><li>How risks are identified and controlled</li><li>How teams are trained and supported</li><li>How leaders set expectations and lead by example</li></ul>Ultimately, it’s about creating an environment where safety is built into daily operations, not revisited only when something goes wrong.<div data-type="horizontalRule"><hr></div><h2 id="62722e46-f467-4b07-b677-9970a1386384" data-toc-id="62722e46-f467-4b07-b677-9970a1386384">The gap between compliance and culture</h2>Most businesses understand their legal obligations. They complete risk assessments, deliver training and maintain documentation - but compliance alone doesn’t guarantee a safe workplace. The real difference lies in culture.A strong health and safety culture means:<ul><li>Employees feel confident to speak up about risks</li><li>Managers actively reinforce safe behaviours</li><li>Training is practical, relevant and ongoing</li><li>Safety is considered in every decision, not just audits</li></ul>Bridging the gap between compliance and culture is where many organisations see the biggest improvements in safety performance.<div data-type="horizontalRule"><hr></div><h2 id="94fcb28f-7923-4584-8ed7-e8f8845e4309" data-toc-id="94fcb28f-7923-4584-8ed7-e8f8845e4309">Why consistency matters</h2>Unlike one-off hazards, workplace risks are constantly evolving. New projects, changing teams, and increased workloads, especially during busy periods, can introduce new challenges. This is why health and safety management must be continuous.Key areas to regularly review include:<ul><li>Training and competency - Are employees up to date and confident?</li><li>Risk assessments - Do they reflect current working conditions?</li><li>Policies and procedures - Are they practical and being followed?</li><li>Incident response - Are lessons being learned and shared?</li></ul>Consistency in these areas helps prevent incidents and builds long-term resilience.<div data-type="horizontalRule"><hr></div><h2 id="d19120b5-9da4-4c64-ae9a-a11a0e87dc0d" data-toc-id="d19120b5-9da4-4c64-ae9a-a11a0e87dc0d">Bringing safety, training and support together</h2>Effective workplace safety doesn’t sit in isolation - it relies on a combination of training, consultancy and ongoing support.Businesses often benefit from:<ul><li>Health and safety training to build awareness and competence</li><li>Consultancy support for audits, investigations and risk management</li><li>Retained advisory services to guide day-to-day decision-making</li><li>Support in demonstrating compliance and best practice</li></ul>When these elements work together, organisations move beyond simply meeting requirements - they create safer, more confident workplaces.<div data-type="horizontalRule"><hr></div><h2 id="5b2f3825-8aab-4bb4-b861-8ae41ac7d5fd" data-toc-id="5b2f3825-8aab-4bb4-b861-8ae41ac7d5fd">A practical moment to reflect</h2>The World Day for Safety and Health at Work is an opportunity to pause and take stock. Not just of what’s in place, but how effective it really is.Ask yourself:<ul><li>Are we confident in our current approach to workplace safety?</li><li>Do our teams understand their responsibilities?</li><li>Are we preventing risks, or reacting to them?</li></ul>These are the questions that turn awareness into meaningful improvement.<div data-type="horizontalRule"><hr></div><h2 id="cd2794ee-ec5c-40b4-9c5f-ec518801b9bf" data-toc-id="cd2794ee-ec5c-40b4-9c5f-ec518801b9bf">Building safer workplaces, every day</h2>Workplace safety is not defined by a single day - it’s shaped by the actions taken every day that follows.By investing in health and safety training, consultancy and proactive risk management, businesses can protect their people, strengthen compliance and improve performance - because when safety becomes part of your culture, it doesn’t just reduce risk, it creates a stronger, more resilient organisation.<div data-type="horizontalRule"><hr></div><h2 id="4254409f-8dcb-4ed4-815b-512d0404d5bc" data-toc-id="4254409f-8dcb-4ed4-815b-512d0404d5bc">Need support with your workplace safety approach?</h2>Whether you need practical training, expert consultancy, retained advisory support, or help demonstrating your compliance credentials, we help businesses bring training, compliance and expert support together - so you can move beyond box-ticking and build a safer workplace.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="link" href="https://www.ssg.co.uk/contact">Get in touch with our team to find out more.</a>

World Day for Safety and Health at Work is a reminder that safety goes beyond compliance, it’s about building a culture that protects your people every day.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work: Turning awareness into action

Here at SSG we are frequently asked about how to deal with the risks of an employee covertly recording a grievance or disciplinary meetings and whether that recording can then be used as evidence at a tribunal.If an employer has a policy that recording meetings is prohibited it will become a disciplinary matter if an employee is found to have made a covert recording.Also, if an employee breaches such a policy but their tribunal claim is still successful it will usually reduce the amount of compensation that would have been due to them.<h3 id="22700c1b-c1aa-4097-900d-83cc634f9980" data-toc-id="22700c1b-c1aa-4097-900d-83cc634f9980">The grey area</h3>But whether a recording can be presented at tribunal even when it was made covertly is a grey area.An example where the covert recording could be allowed as evidence (for the employee’s case) would be when the individual has captured evidence of misconduct or wrongdoing that would otherwise not have come to light. This could be especially relevant if the employee has been of bullied or harassed by a more senior colleague or manager.The ability to refer to covert recordings in tribunal proceedings depends on what has been recorded.It might be that an employee has made a recording which shows that the original notes or transcript were an inaccurate representation of the meeting. For example, the notes alone may put the employer in a favourable light when reality of what occurred would be less favourable to them. A recording might show that the employer’s written version of events was a misleading representation of what was said. In such a case a judge may allow the covert recording as evidence because it would be the only way to definitively show what had been said in the meeting.But what about recordings of discussions about an employee but where they were not present?These are recorded conversations from which the employee was excluded and should not have been privy to, but which are subsequently acquired. These could be captured by a phone or on a Teams call which were left on record. Generally, these recordings would not be admissible as evidence at tribunal on the basis that such discussions are intended to be confidential between the participants.But a tribunal may rule that such a covert recording can be admissible if they showed evidence of discrimination, harassment or bullying.Source: Gavin Parrott

We are frequently asked about how to deal with the risks of an employee covertly recording a grievance or disciplinary meetings and whether that recording can then be used as evidence at a tribunal.  