Under the latest proposal by the EU, UK employees should examine the mental health of their employees while considering redundancies. Additionally, bosses could be required to assess the impact of particular redundancies on the wider community.
The plans which have been proposed by the Spanish socialist Alejandro Cercas, comes at the same time that the UK Government that is proposing to launch a ‘no-fault dismissal’ law is which businesses will be able to terminate employee contracts with fewer barriers.
These latest proposals have reportedly frustrated UK business leaders as they are already reporting difficulty keeping up to date with the latest EU requirements and restrictions that have been put in place from Europe.
Currently, the UK is trying to regain some control so that decisions and regulations can be put in place for the UK, by the UK. The government are arguing that at a time where businesses need to be focusing on making a profit and keeping out of the worst recession on record, the last thing they need is more interventions from Europe.
It could be argued that the UK government should be requesting that UK businesses should have a liability to maintain mental health of their employees irrespective of whether they are involved in restructuring plans. Simple techniques such as lunch time yoga sessions or Mindfulness training have previously been found to reduce stress levels, while boosting moral and productivity. Additionally, business that have integrated mindfulness training, have also reported fewer absentee days.
