The Brightmine Podcast (UK)

Gemma Dale joins us to talk about the crucial role HR has played in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, the future of the workplace and the challenges around wellbeing and engagement.

Luke Bowery , partner at Burges Salmon, guides you through some common tricky issues in redundancy selection exercises, including: devising fair selection criteria; adjusting criteria for disabled employees; conducting competitive interview processes; pooling and scoring where employees have been furloughed; and assessing those on secondment.

Louise Haycock, partner at law firm Fragomen, takes us through what employers need to know, and what actions they may need to take, following the end of the transition period around the UK leaving the EU.

What key employment cases should be on the HR radar in 2021? We highlight the most important upcoming cases and discuss their impact on HR, including those relating to: worker status, holiday pay, national minimum wage for sleep-in care workers, trade unions and collective bargaining, and equal pay. We also look at the impact of Brexit on EU case law and the state of play of employment tribunals....

Max Winthrop , partner and head of the employment law team at Short, Richardson & Forth, discusses the legal and practical consequences for HR of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination programme including: whether or not employers can require workers to be vaccinated; potential discrimination issues; contractual considerations; and practical steps around communication, strategy and policy.

Immigration solicitor  Louise Haycock  details what employers need to know with the end of the Brexit transition on December 31 2020, including the new points-based immigration system that came into force on 1 December.

Rosie Evans, behavioural scientist, discusses how HR can approach coaching, onboarding and evaluating remote workers in an emotionally intelligent way.

The HR community has been at the heart of the response from organisations to the coronavirus pandemic, dealing with ongoing uncertainty, emerging and re-emerging schemes while also dealing with perennial HR issues. Sarah-Jane Georges and Allen Liedkie, both account directors at behaviour change company  Steps , discuss the best ways to develop behaviours to build resilience during these times.

Employment lawyer David Whincup provides practical tips on managing the end of a redundancy process.

Jo Broadbent , counsel knowledge lawyer at Hogan Lovells, provides practical guidance on the key discrimination decisions of the past ten years since the introduction of the Equality Act 2010, including cases relating to: discrimination arising from disability; religious and philosophical beliefs; sexual orientation discrimination; and the "costs plus" approach to justification of indirect discrim...

Employment lawyer Darren Newman discusses the Job Support Scheme, which takes effect on 1 November 2020, including: the parameters of the scheme and to whom it applies; funding arrangements; and its potential impact for employers. We also look at the consequences of the self-isolation regulations for employers and workers.

We talk to Joy Stephens about how organisations can create a more racially diverse and inclusive workplace, from the different forms that racism can take to microaggressions - what they are and how to deal with them.

Richard Martin from the employment relations and HR training provider byrne-dean joins us to discuss managing mental health wellbeing. He takes us through some of the mental health challenges arising from working arrangements as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and offers sound practical advice on meeting these challenges.

David Whincup , partner and head of employment at the London office of law firm Squire Patton Boggs, discusses the key elements of a whistleblowing complaint, and shares his tips on how employers can deal effectively with protected disclosures in the context of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Roianne Nedd, a diversity and inclusion expert, explores the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement. We discuss the concepts of white privilege and white fragility; how to be an effective ally; how organisations translate powerful conversations into meaningful action; and practical steps that organisations can take in the context of both recruitment and capability.

Darren Newman, employment lawyer, discusses how flexible furlough will work under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme from 1 July 2020.

Mary Lawrence, partner at law firm Osborne Clarke, joins us to discuss the key health and safety issues for HR professionals during the lifting of the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown.

Louise Haycock , immigration solicitor, discusses the steps that organisations need to take now to prepare their workforce for the effects of Brexit, including applying for sponsor licences, dealing with the implications of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on immigration, and other general workforce planning issues.

Victoria Lewis , chief executive at bryne-dean, joins us to talk about employee engagement and what it means during the coronavirus pandemic. She offers her unique insight into how HR can ensure employees continue to feel engaged, many of whom will be facing enduring challenges at this time.

Andy Langford, clinical director at  Cruse Bereavement Care , joins us to discuss the impact of grief in the workplace, and the added challenges in the current climate of social distancing as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. He offers sound, practical advice on supporting employees who have suffered a bereavement as a result of, or during, the coronavirus pandemic.

Nick Chronias, partner at DAC Beachcroft, guides you through the legal and practical considerations of running a collective consultation process with a remote workforce.

Darren Newman, employment lawyer, discusses the legal and practical considerations of managing annual leave during the coronavirus pandemic. Darren explores the law in this area, including the new right for certain employees to carry over their annual leave entitlement. He also discusses the extent to which employers are able to compel employees to take holiday at designated times, and an employer...

Jo Broadbent , counsel knowledge lawyer at Hogan Lovells, discusses what constitutes "work" under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and explores some of the common, tricky scenarios that employers face during periods of furlough including: communicating with employees; undertaking different types of training; conducting different types of HR process; and dealing with employees who may wish to...

Louise Haycock, immigration solicitor and partner at law firm Fragomen, outlines what employers need to think about in relation to UK immigration requirements during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and discusses the practical steps that organisations can take around compliance.

Darren Newman , employment lawyer, discusses how employers can manage disciplinary, grievance and performance management processes remotely during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Darren provides practical advice on some of the common challenges faced by HR and line managers, including issues relating to the postponement of processes, and how to ensure fairness when conducting a hearing remotely...