Stephenson Harwood Employment Podcast

In this podcast Paul Reeves and Natalie Edwards discuss the challenges of managing employee performance remotely and share some practical tips for ensuring a constructive ongoing dialogue and maintaining employee engagement. 

In this month's podcast, partner Kate Brearley and associate Elspeth Hunt discuss some key employment law topics for businesses to be aware of in 2021.

It has been just over six months since the tragic death of George Floyd on 25 May 2020, which sparked global protests around the world against race discrimination. In this month's podcast, partner Anne Pritam and associate Michèle Aubertin look back on events and consider how the Black Lives Matter movement has cast a spotlight on race discrimination in the workplace. They also discuss an employer's legal obligations to prevent discrimination and practical steps employers can take to protect their workforce.

In this month’s podcast, head of the employment practice and partner Paul Reeves and associate Imogen Heywood will discuss workplace culture and developments since the #metoo movement hit the headlines in Autumn 2017, prompting a renewed and urgent focus on sexual harassment in the workplace.

In this episode, London-based employment partner Kate Brearley and employment partner Kiersten Lucas, who leads our Middle East employment team, discuss the impact of the Covid pandemic on an employer's ability to protect their business from unlawful competition focussing on the challenges presented by remote working and the potential impact on interpreting and enforcing restrictive covenants.

As employers plan and implement return to work strategies, the issue of health testing and screening is at the forefront of the conversation.  In this edition, associate Natalie Edwards in our employment team and associate Katie Hewson in our data protection team consider the burning question of many employers - whether they can require employees to undergo any form of medical tests or checks for Covid-19 before returning to work or whilst at work. In particular, they discuss the interaction of employment law and data protection rights in this area.

In this podcast, partner Anne Pritam and associate Adam Cooke discuss the mental health implications for employees in light of the coronavirus pandemic.  In the employment context, stress and anxiety are likely to have risen; with employees now working from home or perhaps furloughed and many experiencing deep and unsettling concern about their future employment. Following on from the Government’s guidance released last week, it has become evident that many of the lockdown/social distancing measures are to remain in place for the foreseeable future, with only a gradual reduction in their severity.  Anne and Adam discuss the risks employers face if they fail to recognise the risks that work-related stress can pose for their employees, and in turn, the detrimental effect it can have on their businesses.

In our latest employment law podcast, partner Kate Brearley and senior associate Richard Freedman take a look at some key issues presented by furlough leave and discuss why it is important that employers should already be thinking about the challenges the end of furlough leave and a return to work will present.

In this podcast Jezamine Fewins, employment partner in our Hong Kong office, and London-based partner Anne Pritam discuss the obligations of employers in relation to the Coronavirus outbreak. They will provide practical tips on how employers can help to protect their employees whilst continuing to operate their businesses.

The Employment Law (Law no. 2 of 2019) in the Dubai International Financial Centre introduced, amongst a plethora of other changes, more stringent enforcement powers and sanctions to support the existing anti-discrimination regime in the DIFC. Emily Aryeetey, employment senior associate in our Dubai office, and London-based employment partner Paul Reeves, discuss what this means for employers directing greater focus on managing the behaviour of employees to limit the risk of discrimination and harassment claims.

In this podcast, partner Kate Brearley and senior associate Serena Foulkes tackle some of the key issues that can come up when an employer dismisses an employee for misconduct or poor performance. Kate and Serena will look at three key cases and the practical takeaways for employers to consider in dismissal processes.

In our final podcast of 2019, we look ahead to 2020 where partner Anne Pritam and associate Adam Cooke discuss the key employment law changes for next year.

In this month’s podcast, partner Paul Reeves and senior associate Katy Carr follow up on our July podcast which looked at the reforms to the existing IR35 regime in the private sector from April 2020. To help prepare businesses in the lead up to the IR35 changes next year, Paul and Katy will:Take you through the background to the reforms;Explain how the new regime will work in practice;Consider how businesses should assess whether IR35 applies to their contractors;Discuss ways businesses can prepare for the reforms.

In anticipation of imminent law amendments, Emily Aryeetey, employment senior associate from our Dubai office, and London-based partner Jonathan Kirsop, who heads up our international data protection and information law practice, look at recent proposals to change the regime in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) to bring it closer into line with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). 

This month's podcast is the latest in our mini-series on employee competition, which ties-in with the fourth edition of 'Employment Covenants and Confidential Information: Law, Practice and Technique' (Bloomsbury), co-written and co-edited by Stephenson Harwood employment partner Kate Brearley and Selwyn Bloch QC of Littleton Chambers. 

In this month’s podcast, we discuss the recent Employment Appeal Tribunal case of Forbes v LHR Airport Limited and the interplay between social media and employment law. We take you through the key takeaways on how employers can protect themselves from the risks posed by employees posting abusive, offensive or discriminatory posts on their social media accounts.

In this month’s podcast, we look at the roll out of the new off-payroll working rules (also known as ‘IR35’) to the private sector from 6 April 2020. 

In this month’s podcast, our theme is sexual harassment. We cover the definition of sexual harassment under law, lessons learned from recent cases and finally practical points to consider for both sides when dealing with sexual harassment claims.

In this month's podcast, we welcome associate Adam Cooke to the team and discuss the practical implications for employers arising from several recent cases. This podcast will have a particular focus on the pitfalls arising from the wording of employment contracts and policies particularly in the context of benefit schemes, investigations, disciplinary action or the potential dismissal of an employee.   We also provide an update on Morrisons’ appeal to the Supreme Court against the finding of vicarious liability for the data protection breaches of a rogue employee. 

In this month's podcast, we discuss the topic of whistleblowing.