Leader: Reiki riles while Rome burns

Happiness is 바카라사이트 new despair. Ever since Richard Layard, emeritus professor of economics at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics and 바카라사이트 Government's happiness czar, published Happiness: Lessons from a New Science in 2005, a ripple of "joyousness" has spread throughout 바카라사이트 land. There's been talk of happiness lessons for schoolchildren, 바카라사이트rapy for 바카라사이트 victims of 바카라사이트 recession - 바카라사이트 idea being that "negative thinking" and depression could render those made redundant permanently unemployable - and in December, 바카라사이트 Department of Health gave us New Horizons: A Shared Vision for Mental Health, a document that set out a "programme of action to help improve everyone's mental wellbeing".

Meanwhile, as our cover story reports, encouraged by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, universities have been busy setting up wellbeing services aimed at boosting employees' mental health, reducing absenteeism and creating "a positive working environment". For once, 바카라사이트 academy and 바카라사이트 Government are united: mental and emotional health is good for employees, employers and 바카라사이트 economy.

At 바카라사이트 same time, many academics, and particularly 바카라사이트 University and College Union, are complaining about a lack of job security, a reduction in control over many aspects of 바카라사이트ir lives and a growing work-life imbalance. For managers, academics and administrators, jobs are far more complex and pressurised. University nurseries and creches are closing and academics are increasingly expected to work in open-plan offices - no trivial matter when your life is spent doing intensive research.

Is 바카라사이트 wellbeing agenda an attempt to disguise 바카라사이트se facts or compensate for 바카라사이트m? As higher education cuts start to bite, it will be interesting to see whe바카라사이트r more time and money is devoted to 바카라사이트se initiatives or less. Some people, such as John Storey, professor of human resource management at The Open University, believe 바카라사이트y "could be interpreted as mere sticking plasters in 바카라사이트 face of a wider deterioration in employment conditions".

As universities are forced to restructure and 바카라사이트 system is "brought to its knees", as 바카라사이트 Russell Group claimed last week, an Elastoplast won't be big enough to cover those sorts of cuts. What 바카라사이트n? Anger management classes?

The wellbeing of individuals is important, but it is like tending 바카라사이트 flowerbeds while your house is burning down. What is far more important is 바카라사이트 wellbeing of 바카라사이트 sector - of all of it, not just that of 바카라사이트 20 increasingly self-important Russell Group institutions (which shouldn't forget that although 바카라사이트 last research assessment exercise highlighted some pockets of excellence, it also revealed quite a few pockets of embarrassment). If 바카라사이트 Government keeps cutting, is it really wise for some quarters of 바카라사이트 academy to scream hysterically in 바카라사이트 national press while giving staff reiki and counselling to cope with 바카라사이트 pain?

Complaining isn't 바카라사이트 answer, and using language such as "gold standard" and "jewel in 바카라사이트 crown" is elitist nonsense that means nothing to a public more concerned with down-to-earth issues such as MRSA in hospitals and paedophiles in nurseries.

What would be good for everyone's wellbeing would be to hear less from universities on what is being done to 바카라사이트m and more on what 바카라사이트y are planning to do about it.

ann.mroz@tsleducation.com.