In the following pages, the Linklaters’ team have set out their take on a handful of the themes that have shaped the past year in the real estate world and which, we think, will shape the year ahead. I hope you will find our team’s insights thought-provoking.
The theme which is top of my mind, however, is not a legal trend or a piece of new legislation. Instead, it is a theme which gained well-deserved momentum throughout 2019, and which I hope will continue apace in 2020. It wasn’t even specific to the real estate industry but crossed many, if not all, workplaces: mental health and well-being.
Gradually, it is becoming acceptable in the workplace to talk about “not being OK” and the more conversations we have about mental health in the workplace, the easier it becomes for those in need to seek help and stay healthy. Deaths in the workplace have plummeted over the last 30 years. Why? Simply because when people have been physically injured due to unsafe working environments, action has been taken to make everyone safe. Now is the time for us to acknowledge the need to create working environments which are healthy for minds as well as bodies.
I am not naive enough to think our demanding workplaces can avoid some degree of stress, depression or anxiety, but if we or our colleagues suffer as a result, we should be able to spot it early, offer a helping hand and help them get back in shape. According to the Health & Safety Executive, the majority of sick days claimed over the last year were due to stress, depression or anxiety, totaling 12.8 million working days lost in the UK. That’s a huge impact on our national productivity, but more importantly a huge impact on our colleagues and, in turn, their families and friends.
So in the year ahead, as well as talking about the legal themes affecting our working lives, can I suggest we also talk more about it “being OK not to be OK”? That would be a new year’s resolution that is Brexit-proof and (dare I say it) even more important.
Best wishes to you and your teams for 2020.
December 2019
