The Work Couch

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment. Marking Menopause Awareness Month this October, host Ellie Gelder is joined by Rachel Suff , Senior Policy and Practice Adviser, Employee Relations & Wellbeing at the CIPD, and RPC's Charlotte White , Partner in the Employment, Engagement & Equality team, to revisit menopause at work. It's been over thre...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment. As we edge closer to major anti-harassment reforms coming into force on 30 October, we're continuing to focus on what these mean for consumer brands and retailers. Host Ellie Gelder is joined by Joanna Bracegirdle , Head of People at Bravissimo, and Tom Walker-Drake , Learning Partner and Belonging Lead at Bravissim...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment. As employers prepare for major workplace harassment reforms, which come into force on 30 October, we discuss what these changes mean for the consumer brand and retail sector, where the risks can be especially complex. Host Ellie Gelder is joined by Joanna Holford , Senior Associate in RPC's Employment, Engagement an...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.  Continuing our mini-series on AI in the employment lifecycle, in part 2, we're discussing how employers are using AI once people are in post - particularly in relation to performance management, attendance and workforce management, and retention - and how to manage the associated legal, cultural and wellbeing risk...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.   In this episode, we unpack the trade union reforms introduced by the Employment Rights Act 2025 and what they mean for employers in practice - from recognition and facilities, to a new union access framework and changes to blacklisting rules. Host Ellie Gelder is joined by Drew Chateau , associate, and Briana Cum...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.   Content warning: The following content is about real experiences of caring and the pressures that can come with navigating systems around support for children, which some people might find distressing. To mark Carers Week - and this year's theme of building carer-friendly communities - we are devoting a two-part...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.   Content warning: The following content is about real experiences of caring and the pressures that can come with navigating systems around support for children, which some people might find distressing. To mark Carers Week - and this year's theme of building carer-friendly communities - we are devoting a two-part...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment. In our third Work Couch live episode, host Ellie Gelder interviews Sandra Lewin , founder of 100 Women in Insurance , as part of an evening of collective conversation and networking hosted by RPC's FIG and the Gender Inclusion Network .  Together, they discuss the topic of imposter syndrome, including: what imposte...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment. Content warning: The following content explores themes around addiction in a workplace context, including substance use and gambling, which some people might find distressing. To mark Mental Health Awareness Week, we are devoting a two-part conversation to explore how substance use and other addictive coping behaviours...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.   Content warning: The following content explores themes around addiction in a workplace context, including substance use and gambling, which some people might find distressing. To mark Mental Health Awareness Week, we are devoting a two-part conversation to explore how substance use and other addictive coping beha...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.   In part one of our mini-series on AI in the employment lifecycle, we're discussing the use of artificial intelligence in recruitment. Employers are increasingly turning to AI‑powered tools to assess candidates – whether by screening CVs, running video interviews or generating questions for use in applications. At...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.   Later this year, extensive regulatory and legislative reforms will transform how employers tackle bullying, harassment and other toxic behaviour at work. In particular, the Financial Conduct Authority has now finalised its non-financial misconduct guidance, with significant changes coming into force on 1 Septembe...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.  Later this year, extensive regulatory and legislative reforms will transform how employers tackle bullying, harassment and other toxic behaviour at work. In particular, the Financial Conduct Authority has now finalised its non-financial misconduct guidance, with significant changes coming into force on 1 September...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.   Later this year, extensive regulatory and legislative reforms will transform how employers tackle bullying, harassment and other toxic behaviour at work. In particular, the Financial Conduct Authority has now finalised its non-financial misconduct guidance, with significant changes coming into force on 1 Septembe...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.   Continuing our deep dive into the Employment Rights Act 2025, this week we discuss the imminent wave of employment law reforms coming into effect in April 2026 - and the key actions to take now.   Host Ellie Gelder is joined by Charlotte White , partner, and Ramina Krivich , trainee solicitor, both from our...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.   Kicking off Season 4, we take a deep dive into how the Employment Rights Act 2025 will transform a key area of employment law: family-friendly rights at work. We explain what the changes mean, when they are expected to come into force, and the practical steps employers can take now to stay one step ahead.  ...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.   Host Ellie Gelder is once again joined by consultant employment lawyer Victoria Othen to talk about disability at work and what reasonable adjustments look like at each stage of the employment life cycle. In part two, which is packed with practical examples, they discuss:   Relevant factors when assessing th...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment. In our second live episode, recorded before a special audience of RPC clients, host  Ellie Gelder is joined by three leading voices in employment law to dissect - and make sense of - the transformational and ground-breaking Employment Rights Bill. The panel comprised: Professor Catherine Barnard, Professor of Europ...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.   Host Ellie Gelder is joined by consultant employment lawyer Victoria Othen to explore the government's proposed changes to welfare and disability benefits and how this may impact the duty on employers to make reasonable adjustments. In part one, they discuss:   ·     The background t...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.   As the Summer holidays draw to a close - and the backlog in employment tribunal cases continues - the Work Couch is going back to school with a lesson on judicial mediation (JM).   JM, which is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), has a reported success rate of 65-70%, but how does it work in prac...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.   This year's Carers week theme is " caring about equality " and highlights the inequalities faced by unpaid carers, including a greater risk of poverty, social isolation, and poor mental and physical health. Sadly, and far too often, carers of all ages are missing out on opportunities in their education, careers o...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.   This year's Carers week theme is " caring about equality " and highlights the inequalities faced by unpaid carers, including a greater risk of poverty, social isolation, and poor mental and physical health. Sadly, and far too often, carers of all ages are missing out on opportunities in their education, careers o...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.   This week, host Ellie Gelder speaks to Patrick Brodie and Kelly Thomson about the landmark Supreme Court decision in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers , which has prompted many questions for UK businesses and employers.   Focusing on the law, Patrick and Kelly provide an accessible, balanced ov...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.   To mark Mental Health Awareness Week and this year's theme of community, host Ellie Gelder is joined once again by Rebecca Norris and Camilla Wells , co-founders of Trauma Informed Law , an organisation which offers specialist support for trauma, burnout and overwhelm in the legal sector.   In the second par...

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.   To mark Mental Health Awareness Week and this year's theme of community, host Ellie Gelder is joined by Rebecca Norris and Camilla Wells , co-founders of Trauma Informed Law , an organisation which offers specialist support for trauma, burnout and overwhelm in the legal sector.   In part 1, we discuss: &nbsp...