Six years ago, there was a noticeable gap in psychological support services within the maritime industry.

Charles Watkins, a clinical psychologist, and licensed psychotherapist, was among the first in the sector to recognize this gap. In response, he founded Mental Health Support Solutions, also known as MHSS. His vision was to establish a comprehensive service to address crises at sea and prevent mental health issues among crew and office personnel.

This initiative began in 2018. Now, six years later, MHSS has emerged as one of the leading psychological support providers in the maritime sector. The company currently serves over 7000 vessels worldwide, including commercial ships, cruise liners, and yachts.

In recent years, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a significant increase in requests for mental health support for crew members. This period marked a turning point for the industry, prompting a recognition of the urgent need for regulatory changes in health and safety protocols. MHSS has been actively involved in supporting these changes.

The MHSS team comprises over 80 clinical psychologists, all holding a minimum of a master’s degree in clinical psychology and receiving additional training in Maritime Psychology. Their services are available in over 50 languages, ensuring accessibility to support in one’s native language.

At the heart of the company’s services is a 24/7 helpline, accessible to crew and office staff via freephone, WhatsApp, and text messages, without the need for prior appointments. Additionally, the company offers both in-person and online training courses and seminars covering various aspects of wellbeing for teams worldwide.

Furthermore, Charles and his team provide in-person crisis interventions following serious accidents onboard vessels. The process is straightforward: MHSS psychologists board the ship after an incident to stabilize the crew and ensure everyone’s safety to proceed with their duties.

Mental Health Support Solutions firmly believes that physical and psychological health are interconnected, underscoring the importance of addressing both to foster a safe and healthy work environment onboard and ashore.

The team urges all shipowners and managers to recognize the impact of poor mental health on their employees and performance. Drawing from extensive experience, they emphasize that factors such as lack of sleep, isolation, fatigue, and challenging physical environments increase the risk of incidents and accidents at sea.

“It is our collective responsibility to care for the people in this industry and to ensure safe and healthy working conditions for both seafarers and office personnel if we are to prevent accidents and promote the thriving of our industry.”
– Charles Watkins, Founder and CEO of MHSS

Maintaining a diverse workforce is essential to the maritime industry’s ability to operate on a global scale. A diverse workforce can help provide a deeper understanding of different cultures, markets, and customer needs, ultimately enhancing our industry’s ability to navigate the complexities of international trade and commerce.

Of course, being an effective business partner in our interconnected world doesn’t stop with diversity. Customers and stakeholders increasingly expect industry leaders to actively demonstrate a commitment to equity and inclusion.

Where equity ensures fairness and impartiality in policies and practices, inclusion focuses on creating an environment where all individuals feel valued and respected. If diversity is being invited to the party, inclusion is being asked to dance.

We have all seen the studies and the numbers, and they repeatedly reinforce that fostering an inclusive and equitable work environment promotes employee well-being and satisfaction. This, in turn, can lead to higher productivity, lower turnover rates, greater innovation, and improved overall performance within the industry.

While the maritime industry has made strides in addressing these issues, there are still challenges that need to be overcome. However, the industry is committed to driving positive change and improvement. Some of these challenges include entrenched cultural norms, recruitment biases, and the need for greater representation in leadership roles. However, the industry also presents numerous opportunities to drive positive change, such as implementing inclusive hiring practices, providing diversity training, and fostering a culture of respect and openness.

Consider this example of our industry’s changing world. According to the BIMCO/ICS 2021 Seafarer Workforce Report, only 1.2% of the global seafarer workforce were women. However, the industry is moving in a positive direction thanks to the efforts of support organizations like the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) and Women Offshore. The number of women serving as seafarers in 2021 was 45.8% higher compared with the 2015 report.

This is all against the backdrop of an unprecedented worker shortage in our industry. My colleague Chuck Kemper, ABS Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, recently appeared on Setting Course, an ABS Podcast, and highlighted another BIMCO report that predicted we would need another 90,000 ship officers by 2026 to keep up with the industry’s current trends.

Of course, this is no small feat. These potential officers require substantial training, and, as Chuck said on the podcast, they need to be suited to the mariner lifestyle. In filling this need, the maritime industry can’t pigeonhole ourselves by limiting employment or leadership opportunities based on preconceived notions or even unconscious biases. Embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion in processes helps organizations access larger talent pools than they would otherwise, helping us all succeed together.

ABS strives to be an industry leader in this effort by continually examining where we can obtain the next generation of qualified talent. To do this, we include non-traditional sources such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities and organizations such as WISTA. We have made significant progress in this area through such efforts. For example, ABS has a global staff of female surveyors in countries like Saudi Arabia, China, Korea, West Africa, and throughout the United States. This is our effort to normalize the concept and default mental paradigm of our survey and engineering workforce in the psyche of our industry.

Maintaining a diverse team is at the core of everything we do at ABS. We are a global organization of 53 nationalities and 31 ethnicities, and we are constantly striving to ensure every voice is heard.

By prioritizing efforts to be more diverse, equitable, and inclusive, the maritime industry can create a more resilient, competitive, and forward-thinking sector that genuinely reflects the diversity of the world we serve. The journey is ongoing, but the potential benefits make it a worthy endeavor for all stakeholders.

Article written by Njsane Courtney, Vice President of Human Resources and Global DE&I Officer at ABS. You can see Njsane speak on the topic at the forthcoming Spinnaker Maritime People & Culture Conference.

Most people are neurotypical, meaning that their brain functions and processes information in the way society expects. However, it is estimated that approximately 15-20% of people are neurodivergent, with the number of diagnosed neurodiverse individuals increasing every year, which means that their brain functions, learns and processes information differently. Despite this, there has been a significant lack of awareness and understanding around neurodiverse conditions – which include Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder, dyslexia and dyspraxia – that presents a barrier for individuals trying to gain access to the workplace.

Over the last decade or so, educators have developed a range of tools and strategies to support neurodiverse individuals which allow them to feel supported and included, and to achieve their potential in education. Arguably the current generation of young people are more open about their condition and more literate in their understanding of their potential than any previous generation, with a higher expectation that others will adapt their approach to accommodate their neurodiversity.

So it’s important that the employment market is ready to adopt similar strategies as this generation enter the job market, to harness this growing cohort of diverse talent.

Employing neurodiverse individuals

The number of individuals with a particular neurodiverse condition varies considerably, with at least one in ten people estimated to have dyslexia, 3-4 in 100 adults with ADHD and at least one in 100 of the population on the autistic spectrum.

Although there has been a bias against recruiting individuals with neurodiverse conditions – disabled people with neurodiverse conditions such as autism and other severe or specific learning difficulties are among the disabled people with the lowest employment rates in the UK – neurodiverse employees bring a number of strengths and benefits to the workplace. Depending on the particular condition and their individual circumstances, neurodivergent individuals can excel in analysing data and problem solving, and in innovation and creativity. In addition, some neurodiverse individuals show exceptional attention to detail while others are particularly good at recognising trends and patterns, or at seeing things from an unconventional viewpoint.

Yet, without a conscious effort to include this group of individuals in their workforce, employers may be disregarding strong job applicants with a range of valuable skills.

The recruitment process

If a neurodiverse condition is shared by a candidate, an employer will most likely have a legal obligation in the UK to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process to accommodate their needs. In these circumstances, the employer should ask the candidate whether they require any reasonable adjustments and speak to them directly if their condition makes it difficult for them to communicate electronically.

It’s important to avoid oversimplistic labelling drawn from stereotypes and generalisations across all neurodiverse conditions – for example not all individuals with ADHD will find it difficult to concentrate. Individuals’ circumstances will vary, so employers must ensure their needs, and their strengths and weaknesses, are assessed on an individual basis throughout the recruitment process.

There are a number of steps you can take to provide greater equality for neurodiverse individuals in the recruitment process which will enable you to have a more neuroinclusive workplaces and reap the benefits that come from this talent pool. Is your organisation ready to embrace the individual in this way? Do your recruitment processes and your policies focus on your core values and foster an inclusive culture?

Article written by Heidi Watson, Employment Partner at Clyde & Co. You can see Heidi speak on the topic at the forthcoming Spinnaker Maritime People & Culture Conference.

Heidi Watson and the Employment Team at Clyde & Co can advise on how to adapt your processes and policies and how best to bring them to everyone’s attention. In addition, we can provide training for recruitment managers and interviewers on workplace culture, discrimination and unconscious bias, and making adjustments to the recruitment process for neurodiverse individuals.

In recent years, the shipping industry has faced several significant events, from the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic to ongoing geopolitical issues that have caused hundreds of vessels to reroute. These events have impacted the various sectors of shipping, including the marine insurance industry.

Understanding the specific risks and requirements of your profession or industry is crucial in determining the correct type of insurance coverage for your needs. For instance, many individuals and businesses in the shipping industry will need indemnity insurance. However, it’s essential to understand the differences between the more commonly known protection and indemnity (P&I) insurance and professional indemnity (PI) insurance.

Both serve distinct purposes and protect against different risks and liabilities, used by various professionals and businesses. The fundamental difference between P&I and PI is that P&I is a must-have for shipowners, and they cannot trade without it. PI is not compulsory, unless included in a contract, and is bought by marine professional service companies, rather than shipowners.

P&I is a type of marine liability insurance specifically designed to provide shipowners coverage. It offers a wide range of liability coverage, including, but not limited to, damage to cargo, liability for injury or death of crew and passengers, collision damages, environmental pollution, and wreck removal. In essence, it focuses on the liabilities associated with operating a vessel.

P&I insurance also covers different liabilities associated with ship operations. It also includes legal costs and expenses incurred while defending against claims or pursuing recoveries. P&I insurances are typically provided by P&I Clubs, which are mutual insurance associations. These clubs allow members to pool their risks, leading to more extensive coverage terms and creating a support network that offers legal and technical advice on maritime issues.

PI insurance is intended for individuals and businesses operating within the maritime sector that provide professional advice or services, such as maritime consultants, naval architects, marine surveyors, ship managers and brokers. The coverage is specifically designed to indemnify claims arising from errors, negligence, or omissions in the advice or services provided. It also includes cover for any legal costs incurred in such claims.

The scope of the coverage is focused on negligence / errors or omissions in the services or advice provided by professionals. It does not typically cover physical injuries or property damage, which would be covered under other types of liability insurance.

Understanding the nuances between these two types of insurance in the maritime sector is key to ensuring that all aspects of maritime operations and professional services are adequately protected against the unique risks faced by those in the industry.

International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC), the world’s leading PI insurer for transport, including maritime professionals, says that specific roles are complex and critical and invariably subject to high exposure and responsibility if things go wrong. Therefore, ensuring maritime professionals have the right PI insurance coverage is essential to any business risk management strategy.

As part of its role in highlighting the importance of PI insurance to the maritime sector, ITIC publishes a Claims Review biannually to show how seemingly simple errors can have significant implications. Through its various case studies, these types of reviews help the industry and individuals better understand and mitigate risks.

In one instance, ITIC highlighted a case in which errors on updated Bills of Lading (BoL) resulted in an oil cargo being collected by the wrong consignee, leading to a three-way split for the cost of damages.

During a petroleum products shipment, the charterers invoked a clause allowing them to change the port of discharge and BoL with a Letter of Indemnity (LOI). The owner prepared new BoLs to be delivered via the shipbroker, who failed to pass them on to the charterers.

The charterers authorised the Master to sign new BoLs, but the new bills had a different consignee name. The new consignee collected the cargo before the error was noticed, resulting in legal action from the actual consignee and the bank. The charterer suffered an initial loss of US$ 400,000 due to the delay and blamed the shipbroker for not providing the amended bills for review.

The shipbroker, which had taken out sufficient PI insurance through ITIC, was able to call on its insurer to help mitigate the damages. With ITIC’s support through mediation and the PI insurance cover, the total damages were reduced to US$75,000, which were split evenly between the charterers, owners, and shipbrokers.

Many companies often underestimate the need for PI insurance, but upon discussing a scenario, they realise that they have previously encountered a similar situation and used their own funds to cover the claims. Having the right PI insurance could have preserved their funds and avoided financial setbacks. As is often the case, the true value of insurance is often only realised when a claim arises.

In the maritime industry, both P&I and PI insurance are essential. Maritime professionals and businesses need to understand the differences between them, as well as their critical importance in ensuring financial damages are minimised and comprehensive coverage.

When handling vacancies in Monaco, we’re often asked by those new to the location, about the relative benefits of living France vs Monaco. A very kind client based in Monaco recently gave us his take on the options, which we’ve summarised below.

Quite simply, it’s a balancing act, based on a cost v. benefit equation. If you live in Monaco then you pay no tax as such on your earnings (but see below on Government “social charges”) but the cost of renting an apartment in Monaco is more than if you live just over the border in France (say Beausoleil and walk into Monaco each day as a lot of people do).

If you live in France, the cost of renting an apartment is much cheaper, but you will pay more in income tax in France. Someone earning around EUR110-120K p.a. is likely to pay around 22% income tax in France.

There is a Government employee “social charge” in Monaco of around 13% which is deducted at source from your pay-slip, monthly. That is a bit like National Insurance in the UK.

In Monaco you can rent a very small (but nice) studio or very small one-bed apartment for around EUR3,500 – EUR4,000 (in one of the suburbs like Moneghetti, Jardin Exotique, or the end of Larvotto). In France, just over the border in Beausoleil, you can get a nice two-bed apartment for around EUR1,750 – EUR1,900.

So it’s a balancing act as to whether the individual feels they are better off by paying less “tax” in Monaco but more expensive accommodation costs, or more tax in France and much cheaper accommodation costs. At the example salary level given above, France is the winner by a reasonable distance.