Psychological Safety at Work: Why It Matters and How HR Can Help
20th July 2026Articles
Discover why psychological safety at work matters, the warning signs to look for, and how HR can help create a culture where employees feel safe to speak up.
Posted on 16th June 2026News
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In June 2026, SYLO | Beyond HR brought together a room of senior HR Directors and People Leaders at the historic Ditchley Park in Oxfordshire for our first (combined) HR Forum. The focus for the day was one of the biggest challenges facing teams right now: building lasting resilience in people, leaders and organisations.
After a welcome from Sarah Stevens, Managing Director of SYLO, the morning opened with a keynote on The Power of Resilience from Kate Terroni, CEO of United Response, who shared a leader’s perspective on keeping people and organisations steady through sustained pressure.
“It is always valuable to me to hear and share ideas with industry colleagues and generally network. I found Kate’s story and the discussion points that followed the most valuable from a personal perspective. It’s reassuring to know that we are all/have been in similar situations and it’s inspiring as a female of a certain age, to hear that none of us are alone and that, actually, we all face the same struggles.” Jane, HR Manager, Bunge
Kate’s presentation was followed by an employment law update from Vicky Scholar and Michelle Morgan, Partners at Gardner Leader, on the Employment Rights Act and what the changes mean for employers in practice.
The second half of the day was built around conversation rather than slides. Six facilitated table discussions each tackled a different dimension of team resilience, with attendees sharing what is actually happening inside their organisations, what is working, and where the real pressure points lie.
Across the six tables, we explored:
What came through most clearly was how much these themes connect. Pressure is landing on managers, who often hold teams together without enough support themselves. Workload sits at the root of much of what gets labelled a wellbeing issue. And hybrid working, for all its benefits, is quietly testing how teams stay connected and how new people find their place. The honesty in the room made for a genuinely useful day, and we came away with far more than a set of tips.
“The SYLO HR forum was a fantastic opportunity to network, learn about current HR trends and get updated about upcoming legal changes. The venue was fascinating and the speakers were inspiring (and lunch was delicious of course!)” Sarah Cornish, Head of People
We are already turning the discussion into practical resources for People Leaders, starting with our Top 10 Resilience Tips and a set of toolkits to follow. This was the first of what we hope will be many of these conversations, and we look forward to bringing People Leaders back together again soon.
If you would like to be part of the next HR Forum, we would love to hear from you.
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