Advice and Opinion - February 2026
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Posted on Saturday, February 28, 2026 by Carol Edwards — No comments
In many workplaces, confidence is treated as proof of competence. The person who speaks first is seen as decisive. The person who volunteers for the big project is labelled ambitious. The person who negotiates pay is considered assertive. Meanwhile, quieter employees are sometimes overlooked. Hesitation is misread as uncertainty. Thoughtfulness is mistaken for lack of readiness. But what if the ...
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Posted on Saturday, February 28, 2026 by Carol Edwards — No comments
The word “privilege” gets used a lot. In meetings. In articles. On social media. Sometimes it’s said quietly, sometimes it’s thrown around loudly. And often, when people hear it, they switch off. It can sound like an accusation. It can feel personal. It can seem political. But at work, privilege isn’t about blame. It isn’t about guilt. And it certainly isn’t about saying someone hasn’t worked ...
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Posted on Wednesday, February 4, 2026 by Russell Jones — No comments
Section 28 is often remembered as a law about schools. A piece of legislation that stopped teachers from talking about sexuality, that silenced conversations in classrooms, that made support for LGBT+ young people feel risky or forbidden. What’s less often acknowledged is how deeply it shaped working lives — and how long its effects lasted. Because Section 28 didn’t just police what could be ...
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Posted on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 by Russell Jones — No comments
On paper, being LGBT+ at work in the UK has never been safer. The law is clear. Policies are in place. Pride logos appear every June. Inclusion statements sit neatly on careers pages. And yet, many people still pause before mentioning their partner in a meeting. Still scan a room before correcting a pronoun. Still decide, consciously or not, how much of themselves feels safe to bring to work. ...
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Posted on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 by Russell Jones — No comments
LGBTI+ History Month is often framed as a story of progress. Laws change. Attitudes soften. Rights are won. But in the workplace, the distance between what the law allows and what people feel safe doing has always been wide. For much of the twentieth century, being openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans in Britain wasn’t just socially risky — it could end your career. Workplaces weren’t neutral ...