Afternoons with Helen Farmer

A rising number of firms are offering staff fitness trackers – and incentivising their use. But do they improve employee health – or do they invade privacy?  Helen asks workplace culture consultant Lorna King and Ali Hashemi, CEO of Meta[bolic].

Meanwhile, Leena Magdi, author of Mourning Air, & psychologist Dr Alia El Naggar of Canadian University Dubai talk grief, road safety expert Phil Clarke is on hand to discuss how we enforce the law against using a mobile while driving, and we talk real estate recruitment with Tom Poulson of Haus & Haus. 

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Camaraderie in the kitchen is the theme of today's show - from Chef Kelvin Cheung of Jun's teaming up with Taqado, new supperclub Tiff's Table bringing together Tiffany Eslick and pastry chef Nadia Parekh, and two of the UAE’s top female restaurateurs - Neha Mishra of Kinoya and Panchali Mahendra of Atelier House Hospitality - joining forces for a new venue. 

Helen is also joined by Raffi Vartanian to find out how his firm, Ziba Foods, is supporting female farmers in Afghanistan. And Miles Buckeridge is on hand to outline the action from this week's What's On Awards. 

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Helen meets the Dubai-based new mum leading the charge on reuniting eight workers with their passports after they fell victim to a rogue employer. Meanwhile, employment lawyer Thenji Moyo is on hand to clarify the rules.

Fatima Haddad from domestic abuse crisis centre Shamsaha is on hand to discuss Sharjah’s moves to protect women and children by seizing the properties of abusive partners.

We have more health info than ever before - but is that leading to anxiety and over-diagnosis? Dr Heather Eade gives her views.

And we meet Paula Ralph, the amateur cyclist taking on a mammoth solo challenge…

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It used to be that cheating meant being in the same place as someone other than your spouse. Has the online world muddied the waters? Helen asks Dr Thoriya.

Meanwhile, Sophie Thomas and Anna Kaminski discuss rising ADHD diagnosis in adults, and lawyer Scott Hutton is on hand to take your property questions…

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New research shows more over-40s are giving birth than teenagers for the first time in history. Why? And what does it mean for the future of fertility? We ask Lindsay Davidson, who had her son at 43, and Dr Luciano Nardo of Now Clinics.

Meanwhile, as a new Netflix documentary sounds the alarm over kidfluencing, Meta says it will ban its live features for under-16s. So, where is the line when it comes to our kids’ online interactions? Coach Maysaa Fahour and Dubai-based child influencer DJ Michelle join Helen.

Adelina Gschwandtner, an economist at the University of Kent, joins the show to delve into new research which suggests getting a pet could improve our lives as much as getting a spouse, or a AED20k a month payrise…

 And Tom Poulson, Sales Director at Haus & Haus, is on hand to examine the sales boom in Dubai's villa communities...

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Are Tik Tok trends ruining the cinema experience? It depends who you ask, says entertainment journalist William Mullaly.

Meanwhile, Chef Gregoire Berger tells Helen what’s next for him after a decade at Ossiano, Courtney Brandt has your food headlines, and we delve into a new dubai chef collab bringing us ceviche, squared…

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US unis have long been on the wishlist for families here in the UAE – but are we now seeing a sea change amid safety concerns for students in the states. Varun Jain, CEO of UniHawk & Heather Harries, Heather Harries Education Hub, are on hand to bring us up to speed.

Meanwhile, new research suggests 98% of consumers now see reviews as an essential part of how they buy goods and services, meaning businesses now routinely ask for our feedback. 

But when does engaging with customers tip into intrusion? Roota Mittal, software engineer turned entrepreneur, is on hand to discuss the balance...

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A wife wants to work, her husband and sponsor doesn't want her to - so what happens? It's a query that created a stir on social media in Dubai this week - so we put it to employment lawyer Thenji Moyo and family lawyer Madeleine Mendy...

Also on today's show, the UK is celebrating its first live birth after womb transfer - bringing the total babies born globally after the procedure to an estimated 120. Dr Partha Das from Orchid Fertility is on hand to explain the potential impact.

As a new study shows microplastics are being found in GUM and can even change how we look, we speak to Amanda Grogor, board director at Azraq, about how to stay safe.

And what can the toxic trio at the heart of White Lotus tell us about female relationships? Therapist Marissa Peer, and Gill Whitty-Collins, author of Why Men Win At Work, wade in...

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Ambitious? Self-reliant? The language used in many job postings appeals to people with ‘a grand view of self’, according to new research. Helen breaks down the implications with researcher Jonathan Gay from the University of Mississippi and Genie Recruitment's Nicki Simpson.

Meanwhile, as another research paper suggests everything from the time we apply our skincare to sun exposure to - wait for it - our partner's own skincare habits could be impacting our skin health, she gets the lowdown from renowned dermatologist Dr Faheem Latheef.

And after the Texan measles outbreak claims the life of a second child, we ask Dr Howard Podolsky who should be vaccinating - and when a localised cluster becomes a global concern...

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From family finances to shares and retirement savings, money anxiety is hitting many of us right now. Helen gets advice from financial coaches Jay Adrian Tolentino and Carol Glynn.

She's also joined by the Family Hub's Hanan Ezzeldin and Ben Fox from Repton Al Barsha to discuss the ongoing discussion around Netflix' Adolescence - and the role schools and educators can play in the discussion.

Do you use 'politisms' to say what you DON'T really mean? If so, you're not alone, as Dr Ben Beaumont from Trinity College London discovered from his recent research.

And on the property front, what makes an apartment community really sing? Harrison Rackham-Beadle from Haus & Haus has the answers...

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