The Employment Law & HR Podcast

How employers can assist employees with sight or hearing loss to succeed In this episode 217 of the podcast I bring you an interview with Dan Williams who is the founder of Visualise Training and Consultancy an organisation which promotes and enables inclusion, accessibility and equality for people living with visual impairment, hearing loss and other forms of disability. Dan is an expert in assis...

This case illustrates when an employee can qualify for protection from discrimination due to menopause symptoms In this episode 216 of the podcast I bring you a summary of a case that was decided by the Employment Tribunal in regards to the issue of whether an employee was treated less favourably due to menopause symptoms and whether her employer was under an obligation to make a reasonable adjust...

In this episode 215 of the podcast I bring you an interview with Jan Brookes who is the CEO of a local Isle of Wight Charity, Isle Access. Jan is an expert in assisting businesses and organisations to be more accessible. In this episode of the podcast we cover: The number one thing that all employers can do, with no expense, to assist their staff with long term health conditions. Ways in which emp...

In this episode 214 of the podcast I bring you a summary of a case that was decided by the Employment Appeal Tribunal in regards to the issue of whether an employer was under an obligation to make a reasonable adjustment to their recruitment process for an applicant with regards to his dyspraxia. The case is AECOM Ltd v Mr C Mallon. In this episode of the podcast we cover: Why businesses need to e...

This Employment Tribunal case illustrates why it is important for businesses to set out terms in writing in advance of someone starting work In this episode 213 of the podcast I bring you a summary of a case that was decided by the Watford Employment Tribunal in regards to the issue of the status of the aggrieved. The case is Guler v Newman Law LLP. In this episode of the podcast we cover: Why bus...

Workplace mediation is a critical tool for resolving disputes in the future of work In this episode 212 of the podcast I bring you an interview and discussion with my colleague Jo Carley , who is an experienced workplace mediator and strong advocate for alternative dispute resolution in workplace disputes. In this episode of the podcast we cover: What is workplace mediation. When workplace mediati...

In this episode 211 of the podcast I bring you a run down from a case decided by the Employment Appeal Tribunal where the issue of making a change to employee contract terms was considered in the context of the employee's eligibility for an enhanced redundancy payment. The case we are covering is Jackson v The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust [2023] . In this episode of the podcast...

What should employers consider when employing care leavers or care experienced people In this episode 210 of the podcast I am joined by Ali Steele from Wight Oak Youth Services to discuss the importance for employers to think purposefully about employing care leavers and to consider the individual requirements of those who are care experienced. In this episode of the podcast we cover: Why it is im...

Procedure and Tips for employers about disciplinary investigations In this episode 209 of the podcast I will explain why getting the disciplinary investigation process right is critical to successfully defending a claim for unfair dismissal and the steps that you need to take. In this episode of the podcast I cover: Why assigning the right person to investigate is crucial. The steps that you need...

In this episode 208 of the podcast I will explain what gross misconduct is so that you understand when circumstances arise that could be gross misconduct and steps to take. In this episode of the podcast I cover: What is gross misconduct? The legal test for determining a fair dismissal for gross misconduct The difference between misconduct and gross misconduct Why it is important to set out what c...

The reasons cases arise and steps you can take to prevent them In this episode 207 of the podcast I bring you the most common reasons for Employment Tribunal claims to arise in our experience and ways you can reduce the risk of a claim arising. In this episode of the podcast I cover: The most common type of legal claim in our experience at this time. The reasons why claims arise. The fact that unt...

In this episode 206 of the podcast I bring you a run down of the proposed changes to employment law announced by the government on the 10th May 2023. The gift that keeps giving….covid and furlough employment cases. In this episode of the podcast I cover: The change announced in regard to the sunset bill. The fact that EU laws will be retained unless specifically revoked (for the time being at leas...

In this episode 205 of the podcast I bring you my thoughts and guidance on the appraisal process and how to ensure that you are getting it right. In this episode of the podcast I cover: Why employers undertake appraisals. Why employers think they should undertake appraisals. Why I hate the scoring system in an appraisal process. The things that can go wrong. How to prepare for a good appraisal pro...

Disability discrimination for something arising from the disability In this episode 204 of the podcast I bring you details of a case recently decided by the Employment Appeal Tribunal which deals with the issue of behaviour arising from disability. In the case of McQueen v General Optical Council the Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal considered the reasons for the employers actions. In this...

In this episode 203 of the podcast I bring you a run down on the steps you need to take to effectively manage an employee who is not performing to the level you require. I also touch upon how to address those niggly attitude or behaviour issues that seem to be coming up more and more frequently. In this episode of the podcast I cover: The starting point and self-reflection as a manager. Why it is...

In this episode 202 of the podcast I bring you an update on the latest news about holiday pay and holiday entitlement following the Supreme Court Case of  Harpur Trust v Brazel . In this episode of the podcast I cover: Basics of holiday entitlement. The foundations of holiday entitlement in law. How to calculate holiday pay for employees and workers with regular hours and pay. How to calculate hol...

In this  episode 201  of the podcast I am joined by Kate Davies, Independent Fertility Nurse Consultant, Corporate & Fertility Industry Consultancy & Podcast Host of the Fertility Podcast.   I came across Kate's details in a Facebook post shared by innocent and was inspired by the great work that she has been doing with innocent and many other businesses and organisations.     In this episode we t...

Case review of two interesting recent Tribunal cases In this  episode 200  of the podcast I bring you a run down of two interesting cases that have been in the news recently. The first is the case of Glover v Lacoste & Mr R Harmon which is an Employment Appeal Tribunal case involving sex discrimination following the Employers requirement that managers must work flexibly with no set shift pattern o...

School Closures: What are your options? In this episode 199 of the podcast I bring you some ideas for planning ahead for teacher strikes that may close schools and impact on your employees. In this episode I cover the following: Why you should plan ahead and discuss with staff asap. The impact and stress that could be caused to individuals. The importance of planning for your business continuity....

Being a good manager means moving from being reactive to being proactive via regular dialogue with staff In this episode 198 of the podcast I bring you my tips and ideas on how to have effective one to one and supervision meetings with staff. One of the things that many managers struggle with when managing people is maintaining regular meaningful communications with staff. In this episode of the p...

An interesting case where there was no written requirement to tell the employer about bankruptcy In this episode 197 of the podcast I bring you details of the case of Pubbi v Your-Move.co.uk heard by the Employment Appeal Tribunal dealing with unfair dismissal. In this episode I cover: The facts of the case The decision of the employment tribunal Assessment of the reasonableness of the employers d...

Step by step guidance on the Employment Tribunal Process In this episode 196 of the podcast I bring you the sixth and final episode in a mini series covering step by step guidance on the Employment Tribunal process. This is applicable for both employees who may want to make a claim and employers who may be defending a claim. This 6th episode is about the final preparation for the hearing in the Em...

In this episode 195 of the podcast I bring you the fifth in a mini series covering step by step guidance on the Employment Tribunal process. This is applicable for both employees who may want to make a claim and employers who may be defending a claim. This 5th episode is about the process of preparing and exchanging witness evidence. In this episode I cover: When you need to exchange statements. H...

In this episode 194 of the podcast I bring you the fourth in a mini series covering step by step guidance on the Employment Tribunal process. This is applicable for both employees who may want to make a claim and employers who may be defending a claim. This 4th episode is about the process of disclosure where you are required to share the evidence you have with the other party. In this episode I c...

In this episode 193 of the podcast I bring you the third in a mini series covering step by step guidance on the Employment Tribunal process. This is applicable for both employees who may want to make a claim and employers who may be defending a claim. This third episode is about what happens at the Case Management or Preliminary Telephone Hearing: The purpose of the case management hearing. The pr...