Matheson announced today that it has become a signatory to the Mindful Business Charter, a set of best-practice principles to support mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.
First launched in October 2018, the Charter has brought together a number of financial services businesses and law firms in Ireland and the UK in a collaboration to foster working practices which seek to reduce unnecessary sources of workplace stress and to promote healthy and effective ways of working. As of today, 54 businesses have signed up and committed to the principles of the Charter, including Barclays, Lloyds, RBS, Goldman Sachs and a number of UK and international law firms.
Matheson Managing Partner, Michael Jackson, said: “We are delighted to support the principles of the Mindful Business Charter at Matheson and to promote it as a wider business community initiative. The principles of the Charter are ones which we believe are very relevant to working life in professional and financial services and we are proud to join the group of organisations who have publicly committed to continuing to implement them.
We commenced working on becoming a signatory to the Charter prior to the onset of the COVID pandemic, but we believe that the mindful business practices which the Charter articulates could not be more relevant than they are now. As businesses adjust to the challenges of maintaining business continuity, changed employment practices and navigating the current market environment, the Mindful Business Charter is an important framework that helps develop and maintain a supportive culture throughout the organisation. For many employers, their primary concern is the economic and mental wellbeing of their employees and how to support them to adjust to the ever-changing situation which continues to evolve. We welcome the ongoing focus on these issues within Matheson and as we work with our broader client base.
In keeping with the spirit of the Mindful Business Charter, we have implemented a range of wellbeing resources and initiatives to support the collaboration, communication and connectivity of over 700 of our people in working from home as a result of COVID-19. This has also included working hard in order to be able to continue to deliver all of our in-person training and development programmes resources virtually, which in turn has allowed us to be able to continue with plans such as welcoming 46 student interns virtually to the firm in June, and the appointment of 23 newly qualified solicitors to the firm. I am also pleased to say that our third annual Matheson Health and Wellbeing Week is taking place virtually next week.”
Richard Martin, director of byrne·dean which is charged with the coordination and development of the Mindful Business Charter in the UK and Ireland, has worked with many firms including Matheson on wellbeing and positive mental health in the workplace. Commenting on today’s announcement, he said: “I am delighted that Matheson will become a signatory to the Mindful Business Charter. The Charter could not be more relevant at the present time as we tackle the challenges and opportunities of our new working lives against a backdrop of heightened uncertainty on so many different levels. It is fantastic that Matheson is joining the movement at this critical time. At byrne·dean we exist to create kinder, fairer, more productive workplaces and the Charter lies at the heart of this purpose. The take-up from members of the banking, legal and wider business counterparts shows the power of collaboration and we hope that, in time, these principles will be applied cross-sectorally in all organisations.”
Matheson HR Director and Mindful Business Lead, Lorraine Roche, said: “Some of the core tenets of the Mindful Business Charter include openness and respect; effective communication; respect for working hours; and mindful delegation. These are as important as ever in these challenging times. I would also like to take this opportunity to commend the Law Society of Ireland for the Business of Wellbeing Summit which it will host on 30 September 2020 to help promote leadership in the wellbeing and mental health of employees in law firms across Ireland”.
