Shows
Employment Law FocusThinking Differently: neurodiversity and workIn the latest episode of our Employment Law Focus podcast, we look at neurodiversity, a range of conditions which affect how people think, process and interpret information. This affects around 15% of people but, until fairly recently, has not been widely considered in the workplace. Traditional workplaces are often designed by and for a neurotypical society, which can negatively affect employees who are neurodivergent and prevent them from thriving at work. Understanding the differing needs of each person in your workplace will help to adjust practises to ensure every employee is equipped to perform to the best of t...2023-03-1626 minEmployment Law FocusWinter 2022 and the cost of living crisisAlongside the usual risks and issues – from seasonal bugs to Christmas parties – the “permacrisis” means that in-house legal and HR teams will face a plethora of new considerations this winter. In this episode, Jonathan Rennie and Grace Caldicott discuss everything from writing hardship policies and offering early access to wages, to the pros and cons of different kinds of flexible working policies and how to normalise conversations about money.They also offer advice on:What to do if an employee starts a second jobThe role of communication in health and wellbeingAvoiding bias and minimising the risk of discr...2022-12-0827 minEmployment Law FocusTrans and non-binary inclusion at workIn this episode, we’re joined by Bobbi Pickard, CEO of Trans in the City, to discuss how employers can improve their approach to trans and non-binary inclusion in the workplace.We explore questions like:Is the term LGBTQIA+ a help or a hindrance?What does trans and non-binary actually mean?Are gender-critical beliefs protected by law?Is the law fit for purpose, and how might it change in the future?What does best practice look like?We discuss the importance of vocalising a clear position on trans and non-binary inclusion and educating staff. We al...2022-10-0433 minEmployment Law FocusGender equality: a work in progress50 years on from the Sex Discrimination Act, sexism is unfortunately still common at work. And yet studies repeatedly show that more diverse workplaces are more successful.In this episode, we discuss questions like:Do workplace policies sustain gender stereotypes?Has the pandemic successfully de-coupled gender from flexible working?Will the UK government reform gender pay gap reporting this year?Does a holiday really allow for “rest and relaxation” if the employee is suffering from menopause symptoms, menstrual pain or undergoing early-stage IVF treatment?We look at how gender equality issues are changing, and help HR and...2022-06-2834 minEmployment Law FocusRace discriminationCan an employer really claim to have strong ESG credentials if they aren’t addressing societal issues like race equality and discrimination, and if they’re simply relying on policies and training?How can employers meet the changing expectations of regulators, investors, employees, job candidates and clients?The legal definition of race is much broader than many people realise. In this episode, Kanika Kitchlu-Connolly, co-chair of TLT’s BAME network, joins our employment team to discuss:Why this is so challenging but important for employers to get rightThe role of employee networks, from sharing inform...2022-04-0829 minEmployment Law FocusFive new challenges with returns to workReturns to work are set to become even more challenging with the advent of hybrid and remote working, to the extent that the traditional toolkit may no longer be fit for purpose.In this episode, our employment and regulatory teams discuss five new challenges for HR and legal teams, and share their insights and advice surrounding:Occupational stressSupervision and performance managementPersonal injuryTraining and career developmentLong CovidThere are some recurring themes, including:The risk that employers underestimate their legal obligations;The need to think about the individual employee and take a tailored approach;The...2021-12-2032 minEmployment Law FocusThe rise of the disability agendaAfter Me Too and Black Lives Matter, there are growing signs that disability could be the next recipient of a major social media movement, not to mention new legal duties for employers.In the UK, the government has published a new National Disability Strategy including mandatory reporting for employers, the employment gap is impossible to ignore, and the Tokyo Paralympics sparked the campaign WeThe15 representing the world’s 1.2 billion people with a disability.But are employers ready for this? Disability varies wildly from other areas of equality law, and as PageGroup CEO and disability rights ch...2021-10-0834 minEmployment Law FocusEmployee wellbeing post-pandemicEmployee wellbeing has risen up the corporate agenda during the pandemic. However, this is set to become an even bigger issue in the coming months, as HR and legal teams navigate the impact of hybrid working, the right to work flexibly, the end of furlough, long Covid and more.How can employers address the stigma around mental health and wellbeing? What does proportionate support look like? And what new risks and challenges do they face? In this episode, we discuss:The right to disconnect – what is it, how does it work, and could it wor...2021-07-1338 minEmployment Law FocusThe impact of workplace technology on employeesShould HR be more involved in the design and rollout of workplace technology?Will modern technology force us to replace roles (performed by people) with functions (performed by people, technology, robots and algorithms)?At what point do employees start to resent technology impinging on their jobs? When it can do 10%, 20% or 30% of their role faster and better than they can?These are just some of the questions we explore in this episode on workplace technology and its impact on employees. Jonathan Rennie and Sarah Maddock in our employment team are joined by Emma...2021-04-1537 minEmployment Law FocusWorking parentsThe pandemic has required many people to balance work with heightened childcaring responsibilities.For employers, this means considering the needs of working parents like never before – flexing policies, considering flexible working arrangements and other solutions and supporting people with their mental health and wellbeing.The challenges are many and varied, from changing working arrangements to managing performance issues.At the same time, the law recognises the need to be pragmatic and protect the interests of the business.This is a big topic, but in this episode, we seek to answer some of...2021-01-0837 minEmployment Law FocusEmployee monitoring and using personal dataEmployee monitoring isn’t just about using software to check that people are working hard enough. It can be digital, manual, well intended or even a regulatory requirement.But whether you’re monitoring devices, collecting data to make employment decisions or using CCTV (or even microchips), there’s a whole host of data protection and employment risks to consider.In this episode, we discuss:The growth of employee monitoring and why employers might use itThe GDPR principles of transparency, necessity and proportionalityUsing employee records for positive discriminationThe £32.1m fine against H&M for “excessive” monitoringT...2020-11-2738 minEmployment Law FocusUnconscious biasUnconscious bias (UB) is a growing legal issue for employers. It’s widely regarded as a barrier to equality, diversity and inclusion, and employment tribunals are looking more closely at motivation and bias in discrimination and harassment cases.While it’s been talked about for a number of years, many employers still aren’t doing enough to reduce the risk of UB infiltrating people’s decisions about candidates and colleagues.In this episode, we discuss:How does UB present itself as a legal issue?Ways of reducing the risk, including training, recruitment models and corporat...2020-09-2938 minEmployment Law FocusFlexible and agile workingHR teams need to plan for the inevitable rise of flexible and agile working after the Covid-19 pandemic.Risks and questions abound, from discrimination and harassment to protecting employees’ physical and mental health and wellbeing.In this episode, we look at:The right to request flexible working, and whether this goes far enough (compared to countries like Finland);The grounds for refusing a request, and whether this will be harder moving forwards;The risk of claims relating to indirect sex discrimination, health and safety (both mental and physical) and protected characteristics;Whether remote surveillance of...2020-07-0140 min
Scale-up InsightsThe Future Fund - one month onIn this episode, Nina Searle and Andrew Jennings are joined by colleague, Grant Edwards, a fellow corporate lawyer at TLT specialising in private equity and fast growth, to take update us on further guidance around the Future Fund.In this conversation we cover:A recap of what the Future Fund is and the key qualifying criteria.Most recent guidance and clarification on qualifying criteria.Issues around documentation for the business and investors and how the money can be used.What we are seeing in the market and how the Fund is being applied.How investors are vie...2020-06-1720 minScale-up InsightsIs the coronavirus Future Fund right for your scale-up business?Welcome to the seventh episode in our Scale-up Insights series of podcasts. Previous episodes have covered the key things scale-ups should consider as they move forward with their business, in this bite-size episode we look at one of the options available to scale-ups to navigate the current Covid-19 crisis.In this episode, Nina Searle and Andrew Jennings are joined by colleague, Jon Gill, a fellow partner in the Corporate team at TLT specialising in private equity and fast growth, to take a detailed look at the Government backed Future Fund.In this conversation you’ll le...2020-05-0109 minEmployment Law FocusWhistleblowingWhistleblowing is growing at an alarming rate. This is being driven by high profile cases as well as campaigns against systemic issues like data privacy and sexual harassment.There has also been an increase in complicating factors – including whistleblowers raising grievances and additional issues arising part way through an investigation.Having an effective whistleblowing policy is now considered fundamental to good corporate governance, culture and risk management. The decisions you make early on can have a significant impact on the risks and how the investigation unfolds.Some of the biggest risks include financial an...2020-04-0936 minScale-up InsightsEmployee incentives for scale-up businessesWelcome to the sixth episode in our Scale-up Insights series of podcasts. In the series so far, we have covered funding, heads of terms, IP protection, data compliance and recruiting and managing peopleOnce you have attracted and recruited the right people to help grow your business, you need to keep the team engaged and motivated. In today’s episode Nina Searle and Andrew Jennings are joined by colleague Lucy Hedges, who specialises in helping businesses set up share incentive schemes, to talk about the options open to scale-up businesses.In this conversation you’l...2020-03-2520 minScale-up InsightsGrow and manage your team – getting it right for scale-upsWelcome to the fifth episode in our Scale-up Insights series of podcasts. In the series so far, we have covered funding, heads of terms, IP protection and data compliance. Today we are talking about the issues you may face as you grow your team to keep pace with scaling-up your business.In today’s episode Nina Searle is joined by Siobhan Fitzgerald, partner in our employment law practice at TLT to take a detailed look at everything you need to know about recruitment from a legal perspective as you grow your business.In this conversation you...2020-03-1825 minScale-up InsightsGetting to grips with data for Scale-up BusinessesWelcome to the fourth episode in our Scale-up Insights series of podcasts. Previous episodes have covered funding, Heads of Terms and IP Protection and today we will be discussing the golden rules of data for scale-up businesses.In this episode, Nina Searle and Andrew Jennings are joined by colleague, Emma Erskine-Fox, an associate in the data, privacy and cybersecurity team at TLT, to take a detailed look at everything you need to know about data collection and storage from a pragmatic legal perspective.In this conversation you’ll learn:What the key principles of th...2020-02-1432 minScale-up InsightsAn IP RetrospectiveWelcome to the third episode in our Scale-up Insights series of podcasts. Previously we have looked at sources of funding and Head of Terms documentation as you prepare to scale up.In this episode, we are taking a look at something that should be your top priority from day one when launching and growing a business, your Intellectual Property (IP).In today’s episode Nina Searle and Andrew Jennings are joined by colleague Dan Read, partner in TLT’s Technology & IP team to discuss what it is that you absolutely need to know and have in p...2020-02-1433 minScale-up InsightsHeads of Terms for Scale-up BusinessesWelcome to the second in our Scale Up Insights series of podcasts. In the last episode we looked at the different sources of funding and tax reliefs available for high growth businesses and today we look at the next stage, agreeing Heads of Terms as you prepare to raise capital for growth.In this episode Nina Searle and Andrew Jennings are joined by Charlie Robinson, Partner at YFM Equity Partners to take a detailed look at everything you need to know about Heads of Terms and why they are so important when seeking funding from a third...2020-02-0728 minScale-up InsightsThe Funding Landscape for Scale-up BusinessesWelcome to the first in our Scale-up Insights series of podcasts.In today’s episode we’re looking at the funding landscape for scaling businesses. While venture investment is perhaps the most well-known there are other alternatives such as crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending that could be a better option for your business.In today’s episode Nina Searle and Andrew Jennings are joined by Jonathan Keeling, Partnerships Director at Crowdcube and colleague Vicky Carr, TLT Tax Legal Director to take a detailed look at everything you need to know about Crowdfunding and the tax reliefs availa...2020-02-0731 minEmployment Law FocusGDPR and access requestsSince the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force, HR teams have been flooded with requests by employees for a copy of the personal data the company holds about them.This is often done as part of threatened litigation and can be challenging to deal with, not least because the deadline is shorter and HR needs to make a judgment call on how to respond.The regulator has received a huge volume of complaints about how requests are dealt with, and you don’t want to be the first company to face a fine....2019-12-1939 minEmployment Law FocusBurnout and workplace stressChronic stress impacts employee wellbeing, productivity and company performance.
With the World Health Organisation now classifying burnout as a workplace disease, employers need to understand their legal and moral duties to prevent, identify and manage this issue.
In this episode crammed with top tips and examples we look at:
What causes burnout, from workplace factors like always-on technology and a culture of out-of-hours working to external events like Brexit anxiety
How some companies are managing the risks, from mental health first aiders and regular wellbeing days to 32-hour working weeks and not delivering emails...2019-09-0433 minEmployment Law FocusSummer issuesFrom air con wars and dress codes to live streaming sports and unexplained absences, summer can present a unique raft of challenges for HR and legal teams.
What starts off as an office moan can quickly escalate, with the most serious cases resulting in a discrimination claim.
In this episode of TLT's employment law podcast, we look at three of the "hottest" issues you might face this summer and throughout the rest of the year, including:
Air conditioning and dress codes – do office temperatures discriminate against women? Can you force employees to wear a dr...2019-07-1728 minEmployment Law FocusPhilosophical beliefsIf an employee feels they have been the victim of discrimination or harassment at work because of a philosophical belief, they could claim for compensation.
But what is a philosophical belief? Is fox hunting, life after death, veganism, Brexit or Scottish Independence protected under the Equality Act or is this just an opinion?
And what happens when one person's belief conflicts with another's, like Christianity and homosexuality? There is no hierarchy of beliefs so how should employers deal with this?
What impact has social media had on these cases, with it being so...2019-06-1830 minEmployment Law FocusSexual harassment at workThe Me Too campaign has led to an increase in awareness of sexual harassment at work with companies needing to respond appropriately. In this episode, we look at:
how companies are responding;
how evidence is assessed at trial including emotional impact and banter;
the impact of social media on claims and investigations;
and vicarious liability for employers and the importance of training.
We look at forward-thinking initiatives from the US like the legal obligation to provide training and the use of 'love contracts' or 'relationship contracts', and whether these are likely to be used in the UK.2019-04-0236 min