What employers can learn from Glastonbury

Glastonbury 2023 is a wrap, and festival-goers will be adjusting to normal life after the surreal five-day event. As always, the star-studded line-up drew crowds of thousands. And Sunday night’s finale saw a record crowd, many sporting huge diamante glasses, singing, laughing, and crying as Elton John bid farewell to his UK fans. As the camera panned across the crowd it was hard not to note the diversity of the crowd - all genders, young and old, in every style came together to see Sir Elton perform for the very last time.

Not only were just the crowds diverse, but the acts were too. It isn’t every day you see a 77-year-old woman rocking out in sequins on the Pyramid Stage, but Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry broke societal norms and put on a memorable show for fans.

And while the HR field may be totally different to the ones at Worthy Farm, there are still many lessons employers can take away from the famous festival.

Let’s start with the importance of diversity.

Glastonbury prides itself on inclusivity with around 350 acts performing over the 4 days, from up-and-coming artists to established superstars, from local acts to global ones, from relaxing acoustic sets to thumping drum and bass.

And your workplace should be similar. A productive, happy workforce is made up of a range of people from different backgrounds with different experiences, all bringing a fresh, new perspective and diversity of thought to the table. It what helps businesses grow and innovate.

It’s also worth noting that the Equality Act 2010 protects employees against any form of harassment, victimisation, or discrimination based on the nine protected characteristics:?age, sex, disability, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, marriage or civil partnership, sexual orientation, and gender reassignment.

Meaning that any employee who faces a detriment at work, or who is refused a job, owing to one of those protected characteristics, could make a claim to the employment tribunal.

Utilise positive action tools such as blind hiring practices, rolling out equality and diversity training, and inclusive policies, to support with creating and maintaining a diverse workplace.

Next, let’s think about the learnings around mental and physical health.

One of the most moving moments of the festival happened on Saturday afternoon when Lewis Capaldi was performing. He has been praised for opening up about his struggles with Tourette Syndrome in the Netflix documentary ‘How I’m feeling now’ and had taken a three-week break from touring ahead of Glastonbury to help manage the condition.

Capaldi was performing to thousands on the Pyramid Stage when the Tourette’s took over. Midway through ‘Someone you loved’ he was having difficulty singing and clearly struggling with tics. However, the crowd were right behind him and picked up singing the song as Lewis struggled on, clearly emotional. Not only was this an incredibly touching moment, it also highlighted the impact that speaking out on the condition has had.

Talking out about conditions that affect you professionally is so important whether on the stage or in the workplace. This is a perfect example of why people who are struggling should not be afraid to speak out and seek help. Support is always there.

Employees can burn out when faced with excessive stress, whether that’s due to a heavy workload, personal issues, a health condition, or any other reason. No matter what the cause, an employer should recognise the signs and approach the employee with empathy. Put a plan in place to help lessen the stress they are under, whether that’s by redistributing work, extending deadlines, or giving them time away from work.

It's important to ensure proper support measures are in place within the workplace. This could include introducing mental health first aiders within the team, having an employee assistance programme or access to external support organisations.

Finally, although Glastonbury is mostly a beacon of positivity, sadly it wasn’t a good experience for one performer – Billy Nomates – after her performance.

BBC Radio 6 posted the singer/songwriter’s set onto their social channels praising her amazing acapella performance. However, the post attracted a plethora of online abuse, leading to Billy Nomates asking the BBC to take the videos down as the hateful comments started to affect her confidence and mental health.

Sadly, she has now said she will not be returning to the music industry, posting on social media that she can’t endure the personal abuse any longer. Billy said “You wouldn’t stay in a workplace that did this to you. Why should I?”….a heartbreaking statement following what should have been a career highlight for any artist.

Bullying is never acceptable in any workplace. This includes cyberbullying, which unfortunately seems to be on the rise. Though it may be done virtually, the negative effects on a victim are very real. That’s why employers should take steps to prevent bullying in any form – online or in person. Where it does happen, swift action should be taken against the perpetrator.

All employees have the right to feel safe and respected in their workplace – whether that’s in the office, at home, or on stage - so employers need to send a clear message that any type of harassment will be dealt with seriously. To do this an effective bullying policy must be created and implemented, along with training for managers on how to spot it.

After all, an environment where people treat each other with kindness, respect, and unity – one which Glastonbury has championed for decades – is one where morale, productivity and creativity is high.