The Annual Relate Institute Lecture:

Is Work Ruining Our Lives? Relate President Professor Cary Cooper argues that bad managers are bad for our health

Professor Cary Cooper CBE.

Professor Cary Cooper CBE, Distinguished Professor of Organisational Psychology & Health at Lancaster University, spoke about how poor management causes stress and other health problems when he delivered the fourth Annual Relate Institute Lecture in London recently.  The President of Relate said that as the recession continues, employers must prioritise the mental health and wellbeing of their staff.

Professor Cooper highlighted research that shows the extent to which the workplace dominates the lives of working parents with 34 per cent of working parents (who work more than 45 hours per week) spending 1 hour or less with their children on weekdays. He questioned whether advances in family friendly working can survive in the new age of austerity. In June 2010, business leaders at The Times CEO Summit identified ‘taking on the unions over flexible working (alongside pay and pensions)’ as a key priority for government in reforming the public sector.

Cary Cooper said: “How we manage human beings increases in importance as the economy contracts. Whatever the industry or profession, from the top down, good workplace relationships are fundamental to people’s health and wellbeing. Healthy workplace relationships are good for society as workers can enjoy their home-life more, and they are of vital importance to employers looking at retention levels.”

Relate, the relationship people, understands the importance of healthy relationships among couples and families - this learning should be embraced by employers to help them improve the emotional wellbeing of their staff.”

The Relate Institute Lecture series aims to stimulate thinking and debate on the key issues within public policy and to give prominent public figures the chance to talk about families, and emotional health and wellbeing. Last year Nick Clegg gave a keynote speech on the need for Government to provide more support to couple and family relationships during the recession.

The Relate Institute is a partnership between the national charity Relate and Doncaster College and is a training and research academy for relationship studies. It offers foundation level training through to Masters Degree equipping 350 students to work with couples, families, and young people every year. Each course provides a pathway to accreditation with a professional body and is validated by the University of Hull.

Updated: 27/07/2010