The nursery group has pledged its commitment to abide by a set of principles centered on openness and respect for each other, improved communication, respect for working hours, and considerate delegation of tasks.
Bright Horizons claims it is the first company in the early years sector to sign up to the charter, which was launched by Barclays and law firms Pinsent Masons and Addleshaw Goddard in 2018 to bring organisations together to reach a shared agenda for mental health and wellbeing.
The charter provides organisations and individuals with the framework, permission and challenge to work together across businesses to ‘rehumanise’ the workplace. Its aim is to create an open and respectful culture and that how we work and interact with each other is done in a thoughtful and mindful way, and, as far as possible, eliminates unnecessary stress, so that staff can work more effectively and healthily.
Bright Horizons’ HR director Janine Leightley said, ‘We are proud to announce we have joined the Mindful Business Charter. The charter is designed to promote more effective, less stressful and healthier work environments. We are the first employer within the early years to join the charter, furthering our mission to drive wellbeing within the sector.’
Richard Martin, executive director of The Mindful Business Charter, added, ‘I am thrilled to be formally welcoming Bright Horizons to The Mindful Business Charter. At its heart MBC is a community of employers coming together to share ideas, learning and challenges, knowing that together we will make so much more of a difference than if we were working alone. Along with our other new members, Bright Horizons have already shown that we will learn from them as much as they will learn from us.
‘Change takes time but by making small and deliberate steps on a consistent basis we can achieve great change’