The Work Couch

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment. 

Host Ellie Gelder is joined by Charlotte Reid, senior associate, to explore the ground-breaking changes to the law on preventing sexual harassment of employees, which came into force on 26 October 2024, and further important changes on the horizon.

They discuss:

• The various types of conduct that the term 'sexual harassment' can include;
• Legislative reforms introduced by the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 and what they mean for employers;
• Proposals under the Employment Rights Bill to: (i) further boost the obligation on employers to prevent sexual harassment, (ii) include third party harassment in the Equality Act 2010 and (iii) introduce changes to the rules on whistleblowing to protect those who call out sexual harassment;
• The term 'reasonable steps' and the practical ways for employers to comply;
• How the reforms align with the broader regulatory landscape and increasing scrutiny into ESG credentials, for example, in the financial services sector; and
• The current pushback against DEI efforts in certain parts of the world and how this may affect DEI initiatives in the UK.

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We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please subscribe to be notified when new episodes release. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with the latest episodes.

All information is correct at the time of recording.

References

Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023

Employment Rights Bill

Employment Rights Bill – Explanatory Notes

TUC poll on sexual harassment, bullying and verbal abuse at work (May 2023)

TUC research on tackling and preventing sexual harassment (2022)

Fawcett Society: Tackling sexual harassment in the workplace: recommendations for employers (2021)

19th research on disability and sexual violence in the workplace (September 2023)

Work Couch episode: Avoiding the pitfalls of social washing, with Kelly Thomson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment. 

In the first of a two-part series, host Ellie Gelder is joined by Jon Bartley, partner and Helen Yost, senior associate, both from our data advisory team to discuss data protection compliance in the employment context, and how to successfully navigate the key risk areas. We discuss:

• Why data protection is such a hot topic for employers now;
• Examples of particularly significant enforcement in relation to employee data;
• Overview of the key data protection principles;
• Sensitive/special category data in the employment context;
• Data protection in recruitment and during the employment life cycle; and
• What's in the pipeline for data protection compliance?

Data Download

Our Data and Privacy Group will be hosting our exclusive conference, Data Download, on 27 February 2025, with sessions from 2pm. The RPC specialist data teams and the ICO will examine key data protection challenges, from compliance to managing cyber incidents and disputes. Attendees will gain practical insights through an immersive case study, hear directly from Padi Dolatshahi, Principal Lawyer at the ICO, and explore upcoming developments in 2025—all while networking with leading professionals in the field. For further details and to RSVP, please click here. 

To stay up to date with all the latest in data protection law, please subscribe to our monthly newsletter Data Dispatch.

* Please note these podcasts will not run on Internet Explorer

We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please subscribe to be notified when new episodes release. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with the latest episodes.

All information is correct at the time of recording.

The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment. 

We kick off Season 3 with a look ahead to 2025, we will explore the employment law changes on the horizon as well as what you can be doing to prepare.

Ellie Gelder is joined by Kelly Thomson, partner and RPC's ESG lead, and trainee solicitor in our employment team, Mimosa Canneti, to discuss:

Strengthened trade union rights proposed by the Employment Rights Bill, including those relating to:

• Blacklisting;
• Strike action;
• Rules for statutory union recognition;
• Access rights; and
• Informing employees of their right to join a union

Extension to time limits for bringing employment tribunal claims

Creation of a Fair Work Agency to enforce certain rights

Other changes on the horizon

To hear more about the reforms proposed by the Employment Rights Bill, including unfair dismissal protection, flexible working, "fire and rehire" restrictions and much more, listen to our previous episode 

click here with partner and head of RPC's Employment, Engagement and Equality team Patrick Brodie.

* Please note these podcasts will not run on Internet Explorer

We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please subscribe to be notified when new episodes release. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with the latest episodes.

All information is correct at the time of recording.

The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.

Content warning: The following content deals with some challenging themes around disability discrimination.

Given the theme of this year's Disability History Month is disability, livelihood and employment, the Work Couch takes a deep dive into disability inclusion at work in a three-part mini-series with actress, writer, broadcaster and disability rights campaigner, Samantha Renke.

In part three, which coincides with International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Sam talks to host Ellie Gelder about:

·     The business case for universal accessibility;

·     Adopting a joined-up approach to internal and external accessibility, for example in the retail sector;

·     Understanding the different types of barriers (physical, information and communication, and attitudinal);

·     Adopting a holistic approach to accessibility; and

·     Examples of effective accessibility and allyship at work.

You can also listen to previous episodes in the mini-series:

·     Disability inclusion at work (Part 1): The lived experience, with Samantha Renke

·     Disability inclusion at work (Part 2): Narratives, reasonable adjustments, and the business case for accessibility, with Samantha Renke

* Please note these podcasts will not run on Internet Explorer

To access further support or information, you may wish to visit Scope or Disability Rights UK.

We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please subscribe to be notified when new episodes release. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with the latest episodes.

The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.

Content warning: The following content deals with some challenging themes around disability discrimination.

Given the theme of this year's Disability History Month is disability, livelihood and employment, the Work Couch takes a deep dive into disability inclusion at work in a three-part mini-series with actress, writer, broadcaster and disability rights campaigner, Samantha Renke.

In part two, Sam talks to host Ellie Gelder about:

·       problematic narratives around disability;

·       the financial pressures facing the disability community;

·       making reasonable adjustments for employees with disabilities;

·       unconscious bias and intersectional nuances; and

·       why disability inclusion should be a priority for the C-suite and business leaders.

Join us for the concluding part to this mini-series next week when we will look at what genuine accessibility at work looks like. You can also listen to Disability inclusion at work (Part 1): The lived experience, with Samantha Renke here.

* Please note these podcasts will not run on Internet Explorer

To access further support or information, you may wish to visit Scope or Disability Rights UK.

We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please subscribe to be notified when new episodes release. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with the latest episodes.

The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.

Content warning: The following content deals with some challenging themes around disability discrimination.

Given the theme of this year's Disability History Month is disability, livelihood and employment, the Work Couch takes a deep dive into disability inclusion at work in a three-part mini-series with actress, writer, broadcaster and disability rights campaigner, Samantha Renke.

In part one, Sam talks to host Ellie Gelder about her own lived experiences and insights as a disabled woman living in a disabling world. She also shares her thoughts on the social, medical and legal models of disability, as well as the meaning of the terms ableism and disabilism, and how they can arise in everyday situations.

Join us for part 2 next week when we will look at the narrative around disability, the financial pressures facing the disability community, making reasonable adjustments, and why disability inclusion should be a priority for the C-suite and business leaders.

* Please note these podcasts will not run on Internet Explorer

To access further support or information, you may wish to visit Scope or Disability Rights UK.

We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please subscribe to be notified when new episodes release. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with the latest episodes.

The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.

Handling disciplinary issues in the wrong way can lead to workplace conflict, legal risk and commercial headaches for employers. So what are the most tricky disciplinary issues that commonly arise, and how can employers navigate them?

Host Ellie Gelder is joined by Joanna Holford, senior associate in RPC's employment, engagement and equality team, who shares her top tips on handling the following disciplinary issues:

·     The employee raises a grievance partway through the disciplinary process.

·     The employee commences a period of sickness absence during the disciplinary process.

·     Adjusting the disciplinary process for an employee who has a disability.

·     The alleged behaviour is out of character for the employee concerned.

·     The disciplinary allegations involve a criminal element.

·     Refusal by the employee to cooperate with the employer’s disciplinary process.

·     Reluctant or uncooperative witnesses in a disciplinary investigation.

* Please note these podcasts will not run on Internet Explorer

We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please subscribe to be notified when new episodes release. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with the latest episodes.

The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

References

ACAS code of practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures

ACAS guidance

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.

On 10 October 2024, 100 days - or thereabouts - since Labour gained power, the government published the first draft of the Employment Rights Bill, a Bill which businesses and employment lawyers have been eagerly anticipating, and which commentators are saying heralds the most significant and far-reaching reform to employment rights in over 40 years.

We await further detail on how each of the employment law reforms (28 in total) will operate in practice, and we expect the Bill to evolve and alter as it progresses through parliament and enters the consultation phase. However, to provide an initial overview of seven of the most ground-breaking reforms, host Ellie Gelder is joined by Patrick Brodie, partner and head of RPC's employment, engagement and equality team.

They discuss:

·     Removal of the two-year qualifying period for ordinary unfair dismissal protection;

·     Requiring employers to allow flexible working "where practical";

·     Changes to employer liability for harassment of its employees, including amendments to the forthcoming new proactive duty to prevent sexual harassment of employees during the course of their employment, which is coming into force on 26 October 2024;

·     New restrictions on employers using "fire and rehire" measures to impose detrimental changes to employees' terms and conditions;

·     Widening the scope of the collective redundancy consultation obligations set out in s.188 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992;

·     Family-focused reforms, including changes to eligibility for paternity leave, ordinary parental leave, statutory sick pay and bereavement leave; and

·     Complex reforms to the law on zero hours contracts and guaranteed working hours.

* Please note these podcasts will not run on Internet Explorer

We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please subscribe to be notified when new episodes release. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with the latest episodes.

The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

References

Employment Rights Bill

Employment Rights Bill: Explanatory Notes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Content warning: The following page deals with themes around traumatic births, pregnancy loss, maternal deaths, and racism.

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.

As we celebrate Black History Month, the theme of which this year is reclaiming narratives, and as we also approach Baby Loss Awareness Week, the Work Couch is devoting a special episode to a very important but perhaps rarely discussed topic: black maternal experiences and the impact on employees and their families.

Guest host, Shanice Holder, associate in our professional and financial risks team and member of our ethnicity community, is joined by Tinuke Awe and Clo Rebecca Abe from charity Five X More, named after the MBRRACE report, which in 2018 found that black women are five times more likely to die in childbirth than white women. This shocking and heartbreaking statistic drove Tinuke and Clo to found their charity to campaign for better maternal outcomes for black women and birthing people. And also joining the conversation, Tonye Alagoa, associate in RPC's risk and compliance team, who shares his experiences as the partner of a black woman.

They discuss:

·     Commonly reported experiences of black women during pregnancy, labour and the post-natal period;

·     The complex and multi-faceted reasons behind the statistics, including the role of stereotypes, systemic issues, gaps in knowledge, and misinformation;

·     How black women and their partners can prepare to advocate effectively during the pregnancy, labour and afterwards;

·     How employers can support colleagues affected by these issues; and

·     The importance of raising awareness across the workforce and creating safe spaces for people to talk about their experiences.

To access further support and information, you may wish to visit: Five X More, AIMS or Birthrights.

* Please note these podcasts will not run on Internet Explorer

We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please subscribe to be notified when new episodes release. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with the latest episodes.

The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment. Ahead of ADHD awareness month in October, we are devoting our latest deep-dive mini-series to the topic of neurodiversity. Given 15 to 20% of the UK population are neurodivergent - and more than half of Gen Z identify as "definitely" or "somewhat" neurodiverse - it is essential for employers to understand how neurodiversity interacts with, and affects, employment law and the world of work.

In the concluding part of our mini-series, we discuss how employers can implement effective neuro-inclusion at each stage of the employment life cycle. Host Ellie Gelder is joined by Russell Botting, neuro-inclusion services director and Steve Hill, chief commercial officer, who are both from Auticon, and RPC's own Victoria Othen, who is a consultant lawyer in our employment, engagement and equality team.

We discuss:

·        Why neurodiversity is so important to the C-suite and to an organisation's commercial success and ESG strategy;

·        Practical ways of fostering a neuro-inclusive culture at work, for example inclusion passports during the onboarding process;

·        Talent attraction, interview techniques and training for interviewers;

·        Adjusting performance criteria and sickness absence triggers;

·        Examples of effective wellbeing measures to support neurodivergent colleagues;

·        Coaching and transitional support on promotion; and

·        Neuro-inclusive reorganisations.

You can listen to previous episodes of our mini-series on Neurodiversity at work  here (Part 1: Myths, misconceptions and the lived experience) and here (Part 2: The law, HR considerations and wellbeing). 

* Please note these podcasts will not run on Internet Explorer

We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please subscribe to be notified when new episodes release. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with the latest episodes.

The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.