Employment news and more – March 2023

As a Jones Chase Employment Lawyers subscriber, I am delighted to share with you our monthly newsletter.

Covering the latest developments in employment law to new initiatives, events and opportunities that Jones Chase has to offer.

IWD 2023

The theme for International Women’s Day 2023 is #EmbraceEquity. This year’s campaign aims to help us understand the critical difference between equity and equality, with a focus on how gender equity needs to be part of everyday society. One of the core IWD missions this year is to forge inclusive work cultures where women’s careers thrive, and their achievements are celebrated.

We are excited to invite you to our March webinar, which is dedicated to this year’s International Women’s Day theme and focuses on building a more equitable workplace, taking place on Thursday 23 March 2023, 4 – 5pm

The team will be covering the following topics in the webinar:

1. International Women’s Day 2023: Equity in the Workplace.

2. Sexual Harassment: Prevention and Reform.

3. Gender Pay Gap: Are Women Working for “Free” for Two Months Every Year in the UK?

4. A Missed Opportunity: Menopause and the Workplace.

5. Maternity: A Further Step Towards Equity in Redundancy Cases.

Please feel free to write to [email protected] beforehand if you would like to attend the webinar, have any questions that you would like us to answer, or if you have any ideas that you would like to share.

Case Notes Podcast

We are pleased to announce the release of the first Episode of Case Notes, a new monthly employment law podcast where a tribunal/court decision (chosen by the podcasters) is considered and the commercial implications of that decision for employers and HR professionals are discussed.

Case Notes is presented by Susanna Rynehart and SHONA NEWMARK.

We are taking the complexity of employment law and applying a practical mindset, with the aim of highlighting important points to learn and ways to improve.

The case this month is - McAllister v Revenue and Customs Commissioners [2022] EAT 87, a disability discrimination case focussing on proportionality and achieving legitimate aims.

Listen here

Or listen on Spotify here and don't forget to subscribe.

Access to Work

Access to Work delays are preventing blind and partially sighted individuals from starting jobs, according to a recent report published by the Royal National Institute of Blind People ( RNIB ). The RNIB Access to Work report states that there were 25,103 outstanding Access to Work applications in December 2022, which is up from 15,000 a year earlier.

With people with sight loss or visual impairments waiting months for an assessment, many are having to subsidise their own support to start or stay in work. One person told the charity: “I require a support worker. Due to the delays, I am unable to perform elements of my role. I have had to have my duties reduced. This is having a significant effect on my mental health and has meant I have lost a lot of confidence. I am worried that if a support worker isn’t in place, I may not pass my probationary period”. Learn about the six recommendations that RNIB has put forward to the Department for Work and Pensions to stop Access to Work scheme delays here.

Josephine is delighted to re-join the Jones Chase team

Following her maternity leave, Josephine van Lierop finds her return to work an energising experience. She has hit the ground running from her first day back, determined to make the most of her specialist skills and knowledge.

After 15 years of tackling complex employment issues on behalf of her loyal clients, she is passionate about using her expertise to help clients in her area of practice. In this short interview, we learn what Josephine missed about work and how she has found the transition:- Click here to read on.

Spring Webinar Training Series 2023

We are delighted to present our Spring Webinar Training Series 2023, delivered by our esteemed partners SHONA NEWMARK and Susanna Rynehart. With a focus on Sexual Harassment and the Tribunal Process, this Spring series will explore dealing with a sexual harassment allegation, made by one work colleague against another; the steps of the tribunal process which can arise out of such an allegation; and the HR Business Partner’s role. The training programme is completely free and two sessions remain. A re-cap will be provided at the start of each session, so don't worry if you missed Session 1.

Session 1 – took place on 14 March 2023 - The first session set out the facts of the scenario which forms the basis of each of the three sessions. The claims that can arise were discussed, both in relation to the employer and the alleged harasser, together with the initial steps that can be taken and their importance in any eventual tribunal claim.

Session 2 – 21 March 2023, 9.30am – In the tribunal process. We examine the role of early conciliation, its failure, and an employer receiving and defending an employment tribunal claim, disclosure of documents, witness statements and preliminary matters. This webinar will cover each element of the tribunal process up to a hearing.

Session 3 – 28 March 2023, 9.30am – The actual tribunal. This webinar deals with the tribunal hearing itself and the role of witnesses, cross-examination, documents (the “bundle”), costs and remedies, whilst reflecting on the importance of the preparatory stages referred to in weeks 1 and 2.

If you would like to book a place on sessions 2 or 3 please contact [email protected] with your name and contact information.

Lastly, the team and I would like to thank all of the followers of our firm's LinkedIn page and we appreciate your support.

If there is an employment subject you would like to know more about or simply want a quick chat about a workplace issue, whether you are an employer or employee, please don't hesitate to call us on 0203 837 9914 or visit us at https://www.joneschase.com/contact-us/

Thank you for reading from myself and all of us at Jones Chase.