In this episode Partners, Beth Hale, and Emma Bartlett and Senior Associate Kelsey Murrell, discuss recent news stories through the lens of employment and partnership law:
1. Managing Talent vs. Team Culture

·       We consider the recent behaviour of footballer Jude Bellingham and use it as a springboard to consider how employers should balance individual talent with team cohesion.

·       We discuss the importance of managing high performers who may disrupt workplace culture, and the growing willingness of organisations to prioritise values and conductover individual rainmakers.

2. Toxic Workplace Culture and Discrimination

·       We review the most recent findings from the COVID inquiry, focusing on allegations of a toxic and sexist workplace culture at senior government levels.

·       The discussion focuses on the importance of strong leadership, effective whistleblowing policies, and the risks of ignoring or enabling toxic conduct in the workplace.

3. The Importance of Effective Succession Planning

·       The departure of Strictly Come Dancing hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman prompts a discussion on succession planning in business.

·       We consider how poor planning can lead to clumsy conversations and an increased risk of claims, and why organisations should approach succession proactively andfairly.

In our latest episode of The Lawdown, Partners, Beth Hale and Emma Bartlett, and Associate, Gabrielle Lintott, discuss:

1. Nestle’s recent dismissal of its chief executive for apparently failing to disclose a romantic relationship with an employee. We discuss the topic of workplace relationships and how they might be managed by employers in order to promote a safe and transparent workplace culture.
    
2. ‘Exec hauled over coals for sleeping in sauna wins tribunal case’. This headline grabber concerns a recent Employment Tribunal decision, Ms. S. Burns v Gitpod GMBH and others. We discuss the executive’s claims of sex discrimination, disability discrimination and a failure to make reasonable adjustments in the context of their dismissal shortly following an off-site work event. 
    
3. Headlines that an Employment Tribunal’s ruling that the dismissal of an employee who called their boss a ‘dickhead’ was unlawful. We discuss the importance of acting reasonably as an employer and carefully considering whether an employee’s behaviour is sufficient to constitute gross misconduct, even where inappropriate behaviour may have arisen in the workplace. 
    
4. Marie Tidball MP’s call to make the Parliament building more accessible to her and other disabled members of Parliament. We discuss the importance of considering where reasonable adjustments to premises and services in the workplace are required in order to prevent discrimination, remove barriers and promote access and inclusion.  

We hope you enjoy our latest episode! We would really appreciate a rating or review on your platform of choice - it helps others discover the podcast.
Please do email us at info@cm-murray.com if you would like any information on the topics discussed or if you would like to suggest a story for us to cover in a future episode.

In our latest episode of The Lawdown, Emma Bartlett, Emma Sangeelee and Rachael Parker discuss the following:

1. The viral moment the US based Tech Company Astronomer’s CEO was caught on the Jumbo screen at a Coldplay concert embracing his Chief People Officer somewhat romantically. It is reported that both the CEO in question and the Chief People Officer have since resigned. We discuss the important employment-based issues a relationship between two very senior employees such as this raises. We ask what impact does a relationship like this have on a culture of a business, particularly as employers are being burdened with additional duties to protect their employees from harassment.
    
2. The newly-announced prospective ban on non-disclosure agreements in instances of discrimination and harassment. We discuss what the practical implications may be and the conflicting view as to whether this is a step in the right direction to prevent the improper silencing of victims, or whether this removes a valuable bargaining tool for individuals seeking to settle such matters.
    
3. A summer intern at a US based global law firm was expelled following a series of reports that they had bitten upwards of 10 colleagues. What considerations are there for employers who encounter an employee behaving in such unacceptable manner in the workplace?
   Click here to view Gwyneth Paltrow's 60-second 'Thank you for your interest in Astronomer' clip mentioned in this podcast episode - an inspired PR response to a corporate workplace crisis.

In our latest episode of The Lawdown, Senior Associate Yulia Fedorenko and Partners Emma Bartlett and Beth Hale discuss the following:

1. An autistic worker at a children’s centre who was subject to derogatory comments by his boss in Wrexham, Wales. We discuss the nuances of protected characteristics, and the use of certain terminology and language in the workplace. 
    
2. The employment tribunal ruling that nonverbal expressions of disappointment - such as sighing at colleagues - can be considered discriminatory and highlights the importance of self-awareness in the workplace. This follows a successful disability discrimination case, brought by a software engineer with ADHD, against Roke Manor Research. The case emphasises the need for all employees to be mindful of their mannerisms in the workplace and for employers to promote respectful communication, while keeping reasonable adjustments in mind in order to support neurodiverse colleagues.

We hope you enjoy our latest episode! Please get in touch by emailing us at info@cm-murray.com if you would like any information on the topics discussed or if you would like to suggest a story for us to cover in a future episode.

In our latest episode of The Lawdown, Wonu Sanda, Emma Bartlett, and Beth Hale discuss the following:

1. The treatment of a professor at the University of Sussex, after she was accused of transphobia and subsequently left the University; this dispute led to the University being issued a fine of £585,000 for failing to uphold Freedom of Speech. We also consider the facts of Higgs v Farmer, to give context in an employment law scenario.
    
2. Ben & Jerry’s parent company, Unilever, removed CEO David Stever due to political views which Ben & Jerry’s advertise as part of their brand ethos. We discuss the impact on Freedom of Speech and the implication of protected characteristics as an employee in the UK.
    
3. An Assistant Vice President of Citi Bank who sued for maternity discrimination after a promotion was given to her maternity cover, resulting in a settlement for over £200,000 in Northern Ireland. This is a common scenario seen in the employment law sphere, and an important story for employers to consider their treatment of employees on maternity leave.

In our latest episode of The Lawdown, Emma Bartlett, Sarah Chilton, Wonu Sanda and first-time contributor Liz Pearson discuss the following:

1. Sam Kerr (a high profile Australian and Chelsea football player) being found not guilty of racially aggravated harassment. We dig deeper into the circumstances that led to the criminal prosecution and the context behind the headlines. We also consider whether Kerr’s actions would meet the test for harassment under employment law.
2. Luis Rubiales (former president of the Spanish Football Federation) convicted of sexually assaulting Spanish footballer Jenni Hermoso during the 2023 Women’s World Cup. We discuss the importance of recognising for the purposes of unlawful harassment in an employment context, what might be “sexual harassment” or harassment “related to sex” and  importantly what is “unwanted conduct”.
3. The US government led rollback on diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes and the big multinational companies following suit; we interrogate the potential assumptions and drivers behind the change in approach and consider whether and how companies operating in the UK may be affected.

We hope you enjoy our latest episode! Please do like, share and subscribe to receive the latest episodes.

Please get in touch by emailing us at info@cm-murray.com if you would like any information on the topics discussed or if you would like to suggest a story for us to cover in a future episode.

In our latest episode of The Lawdown, Partners Beth Hale and Emma Bartlett and Senior Associate Wonu Sanda discuss the following:

1. 200 companies implement a permanent 4-day week and Tokyo’s 4-day working week plans to increase the fertility rate. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a 4-day week without a reduction in pay, including the potential impact on productivity and possible overworking; flexibility for caring responsibilities; and reducing personal expenditure.
    
2. Lord Rose claims working from home is not proper work. We dive into whether there is any truth to this claim, the considerations for neurodiverse individuals and other diversity needs; and our views on adopting working from home, office working and the hybrid model in different circumstances.
    
3. Marcus Rashford and other players publicly criticised by their managers. We consider how publicly undermining staff can impact performance and confidence, reflect poorly on a workplace’s culture and give rise to potential legal liability for employers. 
    
4. Can/should lawyers compete on the BBC’s hit show “The Traitors”? We discuss whether competing would breach regulatory standards and whether lawyers would be stereotyped and “banished” early on. 

All 43 episodes are available on various podcast platforms – please click below to listen and subscribe:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify

We hope you enjoy our latest episode! Please get in touch by emailing us at info@cm-murray.com if you would like any information on the topics discussed or if you would like to suggest a story for us to cover in a future episode.

In our latest episode of The Lawdown, Partners Beth Hale and Emma Bartlett and Associate Kia Aoki discuss the following:

1. The suggestion by the Government to give overweight people weight-loss jabs to help them get back to work and the potential disability discrimination issues that may arise.
2. The BBC’s commencement of an independent workplace culture review, with particular focus on the stated aims of the review and the effectiveness of such reviews.
3. Benjamin Mendy’s claim against his former club, Manchester City, for £11.5 million in unpaid wages, the majority of which was upheld by the Tribunal. We discuss the reason the claim was upheld, comparison with the continued payment of Huw Edwards’ salary after his arrest, and how employers should manage a situation where an employee has been charged with a criminal offence.

We have also included an “addendum” at the end of this episode, in the wake of the allegations against Gregg Wallace which broke just after we recorded this episode. We felt it would be remiss not to mention these, but stay tuned as we will discuss this story in further depth in our next episode. We hope you enjoy our latest episode! Please get in touch by emailing us at info@cm-murray.com if you would like any information on the topics discussed or if you would like to suggest a story for us to cover in a future episode.

In our latest episode of The Lawdown, Partners Sarah Chilton and Beth Hale and Associate Kia Aoki discuss the following:

1. The allegations of rape and sexual assault against former Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed. We discuss how organisations should deal with a powerful personality, as well as the extent to which due diligence on a company before it is acquired can bring to light historic sexual assault claims.  
    
2. The latest developments in relation to former BBC news presenter Huw Edwards and the recent calls for him to return the salary he received from the BBC after his arrest.
    
3. The campaign run by a group called “The Dad Shift”, which involved statues of famous men such as Thierry Henry and Laurence Olivier having model babies in slings attached to them. The campaign brought attention to the paternity leave entitlements in the UK, which are the worst in Europe. We consider how these poor entitlements impact other areas, including the gender pay gap and societal perceptions of men and women.

We hope you enjoy our latest episode! Please get in touch by emailing us at info@cm-murray.com if you would like any information on the topics discussed or if you would like to suggest a story for us to cover in a future episode.

In our latest episode of The Lawdown, Partners Sarah Chilton and Beth Hale, Senior Associate Wonu Sanda and Associate Kia Aoki discuss the following:

1. The dismissal of Jermaine Jenas following allegations of inappropriate behaviour, which has been the latest in a string of scandals surrounding the BBC. We consider the speed with which the BBC took action to dismiss Jenas, the increase of inappropriate behaviour taking place on messaging apps and takeaways for employers.
    
2. The far-right riots which took place across parts of England and Northern Ireland in August. We discuss what employers can do to support employees in this situation, and how to approach a situation where an employee is involved or suspected of being involved in riots or other antisocial behaviour outside the workplace.
    
3. The newly appointed Starbucks CEO has made headlines after it was revealed that he will commute from his home to the office via a private jet. We discuss the reputational issues for Starbucks, as well as wider considerations around hybrid working patterns. We also consider the “right to switch off”, which the UK government is planning to introduce, and potential challenges to its implementation.

All 40 episodes are available on various podcast platforms – please click below to listen and subscribe:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify

In our latest episode of The Lawdown, Partner Beth Hale, Senior Associate Wonu Sanda and Associate Kia Aoki discuss the following:

1. The departures of Gareth Southgate as manager of the England men’s national football team, Vaughan Gething as Welsh first minister and President Joe Biden dropping out of the US presidential race. We explore how to determine the right time to leave a role. We discuss key considerations, including reputational issues, bonuses and post-termination restrictive covenants.
2. BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing is in the headlines after allegations of abusive behaviour towards two of its previous contestants, Amanda Abbington and Zara McDermott. We discuss how the allegations came to light, the role of bystander reporting in investigations and how employees and employers should respond to allegations of misconduct in the workplace.
3. An Apple employee has been found to have been unfairly dismissed after he shared photos of a female colleague in a WhatsApp group. We consider the increasing openness of employers to engage in tribunal litigation in favour of settling, particularly in cases of sexual misconduct. We also discuss the importance for employers of updating their policies to account for new forms of technology and communication platforms.

We hope you enjoy our latest episode! Please get in touch by emailing us at info@cm-murray.com if you would like any information on the topics discussed or if you would like to suggest a story for us to cover in a future episode.

In our latest episode of The Lawdown, Partners Beth Hale and Emma Bartlett, Senior Associate Wonu Sanda and Associate Kia Aoki discuss the following:

1. Scottie Scheffler, the current number one ranked golfer in the world, was arrested and charged with assault of a police officer and three misdemeanours during the PGA Championship. All charges were later dropped. In light of this, we explore when and how employers should take action in regards to an employee’s conduct outside the workplace.
2. Virgin Atlantic faces allegations of unfair dismissal by over 200 former employees due to its furlough redundancy procedures during Covid-19. We discuss the issues employers may face in a similar situation, and the importance of careful consideration when looking at selection criteria in a redundancy process.
3. Following the departures of football managers, Jürgen Klopp and Emma Hayes from Liverpool and Chelsea Women’s Football Clubs respectively, we discuss the importance of succession planning in an organisation’s leadership, specifically the importance of getting the messaging right.
4. The Inclusion at Work Panel has published its report on improving workplace diversity and inclusion. We discuss the report’s findings and recommendations for employers.

We hope you enjoy our latest episode! Please get in touch by emailing us at info@cm-murray.com if you would like any information on the topics discussed or if you would like to suggest a story for us to cover in a future episode.

We are delighted to share Episode 37 of The Lawdown, our regular podcast discussing the latest key employment, discrimination and partnership law-related news stories, and the interesting legal issues behind them! You can listen to the episode here. 

In our latest episode of The Lawdown, Partner Beth Hale, Partner Emma Bartlett and Associate Kia Aoki discuss the following:

1. A Cleaner was apparently dismissed by an employment agency, for eating a leftover sandwich which she believed would be discarded after a lawyer’s meeting at a city law firm. She has reportedly asserted claims  for race discrimination and unfair dismissal, which is supported by her union In light of this, we discuss the expectation of honesty between employers and employees, and the difficulties that may arise in bringing her claim.
   
2. There has been speculation that Mason Greenwood, a footballer for Manchester United, may return to the team following the charges of attempted rape and assault being dropped, and an investigation by club management being concluded. We discuss the issues employers may face where an employee is accused of criminal conduct, and factors employers can consider to move things forward.
   
3. Christian Horner has been cleared of misconduct after an investigation conducted by Red Bull, whilst the employee who accused him of inappropriate behaviour has been suspended. We discuss the grounds for suspension of an employee during an investigation, and the importance of carefully considered investigation outcomes for employers.
   
4. The Hammersmith and Fulham Council were ordered to pay £4.6 million after dismissing a senior employee who suffered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after working with Grenfell Tower fire survivors. We discuss the key features of the claim, and why the compensation awarded was larger than what is usually awarded by the Employment Tribunal.

In our latest episode of The Lawdown, Partners Beth Hale and Sarah Chilton, Senior Associate Wonu Sanda and Associate Kia Aoki discuss the following:

1. Recently published statistics reveal that women of Bangladeshi and Pakistani heritage are earning on average almost a third less an hour than white British men in the UK. In light of this, we discuss the importance of ethnicity pay gap reporting and whether it should be made mandatory, and the difficulties and limitations that may arise in producing this data.
    
2. The disparity between CEO and worker pay is again making the headlines, following a UK thinktank’s finding that by 1pm on the third working day of the year, a FTSE 100 chief executive will have earned more on an hourly basis than a UK worker’s annual salary. We discuss the issues relating to this disparity, including against the backdrop of a cost-of-living crisis, whether workers should have a say in dictating CEO salaries, and possible alternatives where an employer cannot afford to raise the salaries of its employees.
    
3. Dwight Pile-Gray, a Rastafarian soldier in the British Army, won claims of race discrimination, racial harassment and victimisation in the employment tribunal following an incident where a white colleague didn’t believe he was a soldier based on his appearance. We discuss the Army’s handling of the incident, and what employers can do to ensure incidents like this are properly and fairly investigated.
    
4. Strikes are still dominating the headlines in 2024. We discuss the legal developments relating to industrial action, including the use of agency workers during strikes and the controversy around the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023, and the implications of these developments for employers.

In our latest (interesting and non-Christmas themed) episode of The Lawdown, Partner Emma Bartlett and Senior Associate, Wonu Sanda discuss the following:

1. The historical case of Justine Blainey, a teenager, who in the 1980s brought a successful sex discrimination claim in the Supreme Court of Canada, to strike out provisions in the Ontario HR Code which prohibited girls from playing sports with boys, arguing that she should be allowed to play ice hockey with the boys. We discuss how this case parallels the challenges people still face with bullying and sex discrimination in the workplace.

2. Benjamin Mendy, a former Manchester City defender is suing for millions of pounds of unauthorised deductions from his wages during the time he was facing criminal charges. We discuss the employer’s obligations and liabilities when dealing with suspended employees facing investigation.

3. Following the Phillip Schofield incident earlier this year, ITV’s investigation into his affair and the organisation’s culture highlights that he did not co-operate with the investigation due to concerns for his mental wellbeing. We discuss the implications of this and what employers can do when dealing with witnesses who may be suffering from mental health challenges.

4. The Tesla whistleblower, Lukasz Krupski, who leaked data regarding Tesla's braking and self-driving software issues to German newspaper, Handelsblatt, after he felt the concerns he raised internally were ignored by Tesla. We discuss the importance of employers enforcing up-to-date whistleblowing policies and what employers should do concerning mental health issues post-whistleblowing.

We are delighted to share Episode 34 of The Lawdown, our regular podcast discussing the latest key employment, discrimination and partnership law-related news stories, and the interesting legal issues behind them!

In our latest episode of The Lawdown, Partners Emma Bartlett and Beth Hale discuss the following:

1. The Royal Kingston-upon-Thames Council has been ordered by the Employment Tribunal to pay £25,000 in compensation for, amongst other things, failing to update a transgender employee’s name in their system – this is known as deadnaming. We discuss an employer’s duty of care when supporting gender transition in the workplace and the implications of the Tribunal’s findings on employers.

2. Citibank wins an unfair dismissal claim brought by an employee who claimed for two sandwiches and coffees for him and his partner during a business trip. We discuss the relationship of trust and expectation of honesty between employers and employees, particularly in a regulated employment environment.

3. Daniel Ogunshakin, a BBC Sports Journalist, retells his story of being told that he must cut his dreadlocks to progress in his career, in light of reports that former Premier League striker Gifton Noel-Williams has had similar experiences whilst attempting to break into football management. We discuss how racial stereotyping and dress and appearance policies in the workplace can potentially give rise to discrimination claims.

4. Cardiff University Students' Union bans men wearing blue shirts and chinos from certain club nights. We discuss the issue of stereotyping people based on their appearance.

We are delighted to share Episode 33 of The Lawdown, our regular podcast discussing the latest key employment, discrimination and partnership law-related news stories, and the interesting legal issues behind them! 

In our latest episode of The Lawdown, Partners Emma Bartlett and Beth Hale and Senior Associate, Wonu Sanda, discuss the following:

1. The well-known high street chain, Wilko, going into administration and the resultant, unfortunate mass redundancies. We discuss who bears the responsibility for paying wages, notice and redundancy pay when a company goes into administration and the challenges employees may face when seeking to enforce their rights. We also look at the issues surrounding the establishment of collective consultation rights for employees

2. Tennis players struggling in sweltering heat at the US Open and the question of whether it is it ever too hot to work? We answer this and explore the scope of an employer's health and safety obligations in the workplace

3. A significant settlement reached in a disturbing case involving racial harassment claims brought by a probation officer. We discuss what constitutes harassment in the workplace and when an employer can be held vicariously liable for harassment perpetrated by a colleague

4. A recent study which revealed a surprising trend among Britons, who increasingly view work as less important compared to their global counterparts. We query the reasons behind this shift in attitudes toward work, exploring factors such as work-life balance, aging populations and evolving career aspirations

We are delighted to share Episode 32 of The Lawdown, our regular podcast discussing the latest key employment, discrimination and partnership law-related news stories, and the interesting legal issues behind them! 

In our latest episode of The Lawdown, Partner Emma Bartlett, Senior Associate Wonu Sanda, and seconded Trainee Solicitor Sam Whiteley discuss the following:

1. The legal issues surrounding the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s handling of a sexual misconduct claim against a man in charge of one of its lifeboats (in particular, the question of suspension)
2. A study published in June by researchers at UCL and the University of the Republic of Uruguay suggesting that having a nap during the day is good for brain health, and could slow the rate at which the brain shrinks with ageing. Are employers taking the benefits of napping seriously, and what obligations do they have to do so?
3. The issue of equal pay in sports, and particularly football, which has been brought into the spotlight again following the Australian women’s football professional players union posting a video outlining injustices in the pay gap between them and their male counterparts
4. Finally, the fallout following a reporter asking the captain of the Morocco women’s football team, Ghizlane Chebbak, whether there were any gay players in their squad and what life was like for them in Morocco?

We hope you enjoy our latest episode! Please get in touch by emailing us at info@cm-murray.com if you would like any information on the topics discussed or if you would like to suggest a story for us to cover in a future episode.

In our latest episode of The Lawdown, Partner Sarah Chilton and Senior Associates Pooja Dasgupta and Wonu Sanda discuss the following:

1. The legal issues surrounding Phillip Schofield's resignation from 'This Morning' and the subsequent ITV investigation after he admitted to having an "unwise but not illegal" relationship with a younger, male colleague which revealed that he had been lying about the nature of this relationship to his employer, colleagues and the public.

2. Amazon UK offering term-time employment contracts to both parents and grandparents to allow flexible working for employees and whether this can be practically applied to a wider range of industries.

3. Finally, we discuss BlackRock and other financial institutions following their efforts to require employees to return to working in the office, the justification for this, and the potential pitfalls of doing so.

In our latest episode of The Lawdown, Partners Beth Hale and Emma Bartlett and Senior Associate Pooja Dasgupta discuss the following:

1. The Ritz job applicant informed of afro hair ban - we discuss the potential discriminatory impact of “employee [hair] grooming” policies and how to prevent such behaviour/practices, and look at the adoption of the Halo Code (the UK’s first Black Hair code).
    
2. The recent investigations into allegations of misconduct at the CBI, the Fire brigade and the Met.
    
3. Finally, we discuss how the unintended Boots sign relabelling disabled parking at certain sites as being parking for the “less abled” reminds us of the ongoing need to be considerate of choice of language and terminology in respect of disabilities.

All 30 episodes are available on various podcast platforms – please click the links below to listen and subscribe:

Anchor
Apple Podcasts
Spotify

We hope you enjoy our latest episode! Please get in touch by emailing us at info@cm-murray.com if you would like any information on the topics discussed or if you would like to suggest a story for us to cover in a future episode.