The Charter

Updated June 2026

Our purpose is to create healthy and sustainable high performance in the workplace by removing the unnecessary sources of stress in the ways we work — to perform well we need to be well.

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Our foundational commitment is Openness and Respect. Upon this foundation we focus on three core pillars:
Open dialogue
Build an environment where people feel safe to communicate openly, share feedback, ask for help, and admit mistakes.

Establish a positive environment for open communication and dialogue

Provide team members with clarity and confidence to deliver their best work. Create and contribute to opportunities for people to share feedback on working practices generally, within and outside your team/organisation.

In practice

  • Within your team/organisation, and where possible externally too, respectfully challenge behaviours that appear at odds with mindful and responsible working practices.
  • Respond respectfully to challenges you receive.

Create and contribute to a culture in which people can ask for help

Respond respectfully and positively to such requests from others. Create and contribute to cultures in which people can admit to mistakes and achieve their best work.

In practice

  • Use mistakes as a learning opportunity and not to shame.
Mindful collaboration
Be more conscious of your behaviours around technology and the impact of how you communicate and work with others.

With regard to communications

In today's climate of reduced person-to-person communication, be more conscious of your behaviours around technology and their impact. Discuss and agree with others their preferred methods of communication. Be thoughtful about the use of e-communications.

In practice

  • Avoid over-use and unnecessary copying in of other people.
  • Use clear subject lines in messages and ensure these reflect the message's content.
  • Work (and encourage others to work) offline where necessary for focussed work.

With regard to meetings

Be thoughtful and respectful of others' time when planning and conducting meetings. Create space in team interactions for everyone to contribute, being particularly attentive to colleagues who may feel less able to speak up because of seniority, background, language, neurodiversity, disability or other factors.

In practice

  • Be flexible around the use of hybrid meetings.
  • When planning meetings, consider accessibility needs, time zones, caring responsibilities and religious observances.
  • Plan meetings carefully. Consider who needs to attend, giving appropriate notice and setting clear agendas and objectives.
  • Schedule the time and duration of meetings thoughtfully and avoid last minute cancellations.

When working together

Be respectful of the needs and priorities of the other person or team. Consider the impact of your request and how it is made, looking beyond your personal needs and intent.

In practice

  • Provide sufficient context and information, ideally including the purpose and the form you want the end product to take. Invite the recipient to summarise their understanding of your request and to seek clarification if needed.
  • Discuss rather than impose deadlines, remaining transparent where possible on the wider timetable. Promptly communicate timing changes when they impact others.
  • When given a task, ensure that the above has been done and be confident to flag when a deadline is unrealistic and / or unachievable.
  • Give people as much notice as possible of when their input is likely to be required to reduce unexpected urgent demands.
Healthy boundaries
Embrace the opportunities for flexible working — and avoid creating a culture of overwork, presenteeism or constant availability.

Actively embrace and encourage the opportunities for flexibility that modern technology and hybrid working patterns allow

In practice

  • Where reasonable and practicable, respect the individual working patterns of others and the needs they have to manage their wellbeing.
  • Recognise that people manage their work and non-work responsibilities differently and that flexibility can be especially important for disabled colleagues, carers and those with mental health conditions.

Avoid creating a culture of overwork, presenteeism or constant availability, which can undermine psychological health and disproportionately affect some groups.

In practice

  • Consider the use of delayed delivery functions in communications.
  • Agree systems to contact people outside of their working hours where necessary to avoid the expectation that they should be constantly checking their devices.
  • Consider the inclusion of working hours in email footers
  • Use out of office messaging to manage your own as well as others' expectations.

Be mindful of the needs of, and impact on, others in relation to your working patterns.

In practice

  • Unless necessary, avoid contacting people while they are on leave or outside of their working hours.
  • Be clear in communications when something needs to be read/actioned.
  • Actively plan ahead for holidays to hand over work and hopefully avoid being disturbed, or at least set boundaries around when you will be available for work issues while on leave.
Open dialogue
Build an environment where people feel safe to communicate openly, share feedback, ask for help, and admit mistakes.
Explore
Mindful collaboration
Be more conscious of your behaviours around technology and the impact of how you communicate and work with others.
Explore
Healthy boundaries
Embrace the opportunities for flexible working — and avoid creating a culture of overwork, presenteeism or constant availability.
Explore

Establish a positive environment for open communication and dialogue

Provide team members with clarity and confidence to deliver their best work. Create and contribute to opportunities for people to share feedback on working practices generally, within and outside your team or organisation.

In practice

  • Within your team/organisation, and where possible externally too, respectfully challenge behaviours that appear at odds with mindful and responsible working practices.
  • Respond respectfully to challenges you receive.

Create and contribute to a culture in which people can ask for help

Respond respectfully and positively to such requests from others. Create and contribute to cultures in which people can admit to mistakes and achieve their best work.

In practice

  • Use mistakes as a learning opportunity and not to shame.

With regard to communications

In today's climate of reduced person-to-person communication, be more conscious of your behaviours around technology and their impact. Discuss and agree with others their preferred methods of communication. Be thoughtful about the use of e-communications.

In practice

  • Avoid over-use and unnecessary copying in of other people.
  • Use clear subject lines in messages and ensure these reflect the message’s content.
  • Work (and encourage others to work) offline where necessary for focussed work.

With regard to meetings

Be thoughtful and respectful of others' time when planning and conducting meetings. Create space in team interactions for everyone to contribute, being particularly attentive to colleagues who may feel less able to speak up because of seniority, background, language, neurodiversity, disability or other factors.

In practice

  • Be flexible around the use of hybrid meetings.
  • When planning meetings, consider accessibility needs, time zones, caring responsibilities and religious observances.
  • Plan meetings carefully. Consider who needs to attend, giving appropriate notice and setting clear agendas and objectives.
  • Schedule the time and duration of meetings thoughtfully and avoid last minute cancellations.

When working together

Be respectful of the needs and priorities of the other person or team. Consider the impact of your request and how it is made, looking beyond your personal needs and intent.

In practice

  • Provide sufficient context and information, ideally including the purpose and the form you want the end product to take. Invite the recipient to summarise their understanding of your request and to seek clarification if needed.
  • Discuss rather than impose deadlines, remaining transparent where possible on the wider timetable. Promptly communicate timing changes when they impact others.
  • When given a task, ensure that the above has been done and be confident to flag when a deadline is unrealistic and / or unachievable.
  • Give people as much notice as possible of when their input is likely to be required to reduce unexpected urgent demands.

Actively embrace and encourage the opportunities for flexibility that modern technology and hybrid working patterns allow

In practice

  • Where reasonable and practicable, respect the individual working patterns of others and the needs they have to manage their wellbeing.
  • Recognise that people manage their work and non-work responsibilities differently and that flexibility can be especially important for disabled colleagues, carers and those with mental health conditions.

Avoid creating a culture of overwork, presenteeism or constant availability, which can undermine psychological health and disproportionately affect some groups

In practice

  • Consider the use of delayed delivery functions in communications.
  • Agree systems to contact people outside of their working hours where necessary to avoid the expectation that they should be constantly checking their devices.
  • Consider the inclusion of working hours in email footers.
  • Use out of office messaging to manage your own as well as others' expectations.

Be mindful of the needs of, and impact on, others in relation to your working patterns

In practice

  • Unless necessary, avoid contacting people while they are on leave or outside of their working hours.
  • Be clear in communications when something needs to be read/actioned.
  • Actively plan ahead for holidays to hand over work and hopefully avoid being disturbed, or at least set boundaries around when you will be available for work issues while on leave.

Openness and respect

Adopt and demonstrate an attitude of professional respect and courtesy towards others. Maintain concern for the wellbeing of colleagues and external contacts.

Be thoughtful and inclusive in how you interact with others, being conscious of the impact of your actions and not just your intent.

Be clear on your and your organisation’s expectations of others.

In practice

  • Actively project managework to ensure minimum impact on the wellbeing of those involved.
  • On a regular basis, ask for and provide informed and respectful feedback on behaviours and their impact.
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