Professor Dr Andrew Sharman will be welcoming all attendees Day 2 of the 2023 EHS Congress by a short opening speech.

With the increasing pressure on employees in a global, ever changing and less secure world of today, managing stress at work is fundamental to people’s wellbeing and to the performance of the business. It is important for organisations to understand that workplace stress can damage their bottom line, as well as the health and safety of their employees. Some of the costs of stress are obvious in terms of increased absenteeism, anxiety and depression but other costs associated with stress are hard to quantify. A structured approach from the top in tackling workplace stress is needed in order to grow a healthy corporate culture which in turn will ensure the sustainable competitive advantage of the business together with the health and wellbeing of their employees. Key Learning Points 1. How to recognise signs and symptoms of stress 2. How stress affects people and productivity 3. The impact of stress on mental health and wellbeing 4. The importance of managers having people and technical skills 5. The role of the manager and responsibilities of employees 6. How to build an open culture where people are valued and trusted 7. The value of a workplace where wellbeing thrives, and stress does not! 8. Ways to reduce stress: strategy, interventions and support

Gary will explore the challenges and opportunities in creating a coherent and effective Global Wellbeing strategy for an organisation with a wide range of maturity in this area: Scope Level of Ambition Role of Parent Company Health & Safety or HR? Harnessing people engagement, and Managing expectations In the emerging post C-19 era Welbeing is not a nice to have but a must have. We compete for talent globally and many current and future colleagues have growing expectations of our delivery in this crucial area.

‘Thriving’ vs ‘surviving’ Speaking openly about health concerns (& encouraging others to do the same) What senior leaders can do to create a strong wellbeing culture The link between employee wellbeing, individual performance and company performance How to integrate wellbeing into existing health and safety systems

Enjoy a lengthy coffee break with snacks and local drinks while chatting with our exhibitors and fellow attendees in our foyer.