Of Boys and Men’. Richard Reeves

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MPs and their staff are invited to join the APPG on Issues Affecting Men and Boys when they hear from Richard V. Reeves, Senior Fellow in Economic Studies, Brookings Institution, Washington D.C. on the findings from his new book ‘Of Boys and Men’

Date: Wednesday 16th November 10.15 am for 10.30-11.30am
Venue: Archbishop’s Room, Millbank House, 3 Millbank, House of Lords, London SW1P 3JU
Chair: Nick Fletcher MP, chair of the APPG.

Why the Modern Male is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What To Do About It.

Originally from the UK, Richard’s former roles include Director of Strategy to the then Deputy Prime Minister, and Director of the think-tank Demos. In 2017, Politico magazine named Richard one of the top 50 thinkers in the U.S. for his work on class and inequality.

Men are losing ground in the labour market, falling behind in education, increasingly missing out on family life – a position that’s even worse for Black men.

• The gender gap in college degrees awarded is wider today than it was in the early 1970s – but in the opposite direction.
• The wages of most men are lower today in real terms than they were in 1979 while women’s wages have risen across the board.
• One in five fathers are not living with their children.
• Men account for two out of three ‘deaths of despair’, either from a suicide or an overdose.

Previous attempts to treat this condition, from all political angles, have made the same fatal mistake – of viewing the problems of men as a problem with men.

This book shows how the basic social structures defining masculine maturity and success have been shattered, and how they can — and must — be reinvented.

Digital right to work checks go live

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Digital right to work checks were introduced during the coronavirus pandemic to enable employers to continue hiring when face-to-face checks were not possible. This allowed applicants to send ID documents to employers using email, video call, and apps.

From 1 October 2022, UK employers wishing to carry out digital checks must:

  • use identity service providers (IDSPs)
  • keep digital records for two years after an employee leaves employment

Many employers have moved to remote and hybrid working, so the option for secure, digital right to work checks is designed to help make the recruitment process more efficient.

What does this mean for you?

These changes mean that employers will not be allowed to verify ID documents using less secure methods like email or video call after 30 September.

How to check an applicant’s right to work

Right to work checks can be done in three ways:

  • checking the applicant’s original documents (in person)
  • using identity verification technology (IDVT) with an IDSP
  • a Home Office online right to work check

For further information please see the government’s guide on how to check a job applicant’s right to work and guide to right to work checks for employers.

See also

Our guide to foreign nationals working for Members of Parliament

Supporting Suicidal Callers

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Join us to learn how to deal with a caller who is talking about suicide.

We are very lucky to be joined by Lorraine Khalaf from the NHS who will be able to share her insight on how to deal with suicidal callers and how to support yourself and your colleagues when dealing with this type of caller.

This event will comprise of a presentation from Lorraine followed by a Q&A session.

We would love to hear from you ahead of the event, so if you have any questions you’d like answering, please email MST@parliament.uk and we will pass these to Lorraine to answer on the day

These sessions will take place on

10 October 2022 – 15:00-16:00
26 October 2022 – 15:00-16:00

Please book via ACT on the Parliamentary Intranet – you must have a network account in order to access this training. https://parliament.learningpool.com/mod/facetoface/view.php?id=5338

Stress Management, Promoting Wellbeing & Work-Life Balance

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With Ollie Welsby, Trainer, Brightcore Consultancy
Wednesday 5th October 2022, 11.30am – 12.30pm
Online via Teams

Please join this Wellness Working Group session to gain insight from Ollie as to how to manage our own stress as well as looking at managing our wellbeing in the short and long term.

Ollie will help us understand the biology of stress and how we can identify this in ourselves and others. He will also provide us with coping strategies and how to maintain a work life balance.

To book, please email mpsstaff-wwg@parliament.uk

Forthcoming Commons Library Talks

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Details of all forthcoming Commons Library Talks can be found on ACT: https://parliament.learningpool.com/course/view.php?id=1563
Please note that you must have a parliamentary network account to access ACT.

Topics include:

Help with fire safety remediation work: high rise blocks (England)

Improving the UK’s science capability for managing animal diseases (NAO talk)

The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill

Energy prices, security and market reform

The creation of the UK Infrastructure Bank (NAO talk)

Rising cost of living

An introduction to occupational and personal pensions in the UK

Mental Health reforms in England

Tackling local breaches of air quality (NAO talk)

Understanding and interpreting survey data

Legal aid and other options (England)

Working with charities during the cost-of-living crisis – A guide for MPs

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Local and national charities working in your constituency can be a vital partner, providing you with frontline insights, up-to-date data and intelligence, and a reliable place to refer people who need urgent help. You will likely already know the charities in your constituency well, so this guide from NPC is intended to help you focus your work with them. NPC is a think tank and consultancy helping charities, funders, and policy makers to maximise social impact.

You can find the guide here: https://www.thinknpc.org/resource-hub/working-with-charities/

Wellbeing – looking after yourself and others

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Caseworker Discussion Forum hosted by the Commons Library

The Library, in conjunction with the Members’ Services Team, is pleased to invite you to the Casework Discussion Forum which will take place virtually each month.

The next session is taking place on Thursday 18 August, 9:30-10:30am and will be on the topic of Wellbeing – looking after yourself and others. It will be chaired by Wendy Wilson from the Library.

The Forum will be complemented by a dedicated Teams chat which will allow you to share ideas and best practice, as well as support being on hand from the Library should specialist knowledge be required.

(Please note, you do not have to be a Caseworker to attend these sessions, they are open to any Members’ staff who handle casework.) 

If you have any questions, please contact MST@parliament.uk