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 the reasonableness of an adjustment;
• Risks and exceptions relating to pre-employment health questions during the recruitment process;
• Case law on reasonable adjustments in respect of performance and attendance management, and redundancy processes;
• Reasonable adjustments to policies and procedures;
• Low or zero cost adjustments; and
• Victoria's top tips for employers to comply with their duty to make reasonable adjustments.

Listen to our previous Work Couch episode: Disability at work (Part 1): "Right to try work" and the law on reasonable adjustments.

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All information is correct at the time of recording.  The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

References

1.     Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance on workplace adjustments

2.    Noor v Foreign & Commonwealth Office EAT/0470/10

3.     Dominique v Toll Global Forwarding Ltd EAT/0308/13

4.    AECOM Ltd v Mallon [2023] EAT 104

5.     Adjusting your recruitment process for a candidate with a disability: What is reasonable? (RPC article, 18 September 2023)

6.    Waddingham v NHS Business Services Authority ET/1804896/13 & ET/1805624/13

7.     Shearer v South Lanarkshire Council 4107433/23 (Scottish ET)

8.    Archibald v Fife Council [2004] HL 32

9.    Rentokil Initial UK Ltd v Miller [2024] EAT 37

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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 European law and employment law at the University of Cambridge;
• John Bowers KC, of Littleton Chambers. John is Principal of Brasenose College, University of Oxford, and also sits part-time as a judge in the Employment Appeal Tribunal; and
• Shantha David, Head of Legal Services at Unison, the UK's largest trade union.

The panellists each share their insights into the practical implications of many of the key reforms introduced by the Bill, including: "day one" rights to protection from unfair dismissal; restrictions on fire and re-hire; trade union-related reforms; changes to collective redundancy; bereavement leave and the strengthened duty to prevent sexual harassment.

They also provide their key watch-outs and tips for employers and business leaders, as they look to navigate the evolving employment law landscape.

Please note: This episode was recorded on 30 September 2025 in front of a live audience at RPC's London offices as part of the Employment, Engagement and Equality team's panel event exploring the Employment Rights Bill. All information is correct at the time of recording. The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

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We hope you enjoyed this episode. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with all the latest episodes.

References

1. Employment Rights Bill

2. Written evidence submitted by Professor Alan Bogg and Michael Ford KC to The Employment Rights Public Bill Committee (ERB69) (December 2024)

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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 to the proposed "Right to try work" scheme;

·     A reminder of the legal definition of disability as set out in the Equality Act 2010;

·     Factors that employment tribunals take into account when assessing if a claimant is disabled within the meaning of the Act;

·     The legal components of the duty to make reasonable adjustments; and

·     Whether or not employers require knowledge of a disability to trigger their duty to make reasonable adjustments.

Join us for part 2, when we will discuss what reasonable adjustments look like at each stage of the employment life cycle.

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We hope you enjoyed this episode. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with all the latest episodes.

All information is correct at the time of recording.  The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

Please note: All information is correct at the time of recording. However, please note that this episode was recorded before the recent cabinet reshuffle and consequential changes in ministerial responsibilities, which took place on 5 September 2025. 

References

1.     Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper (Government consultation opened on 18 March 2025 and closed on 30 June 2025)

2.    Employers: Influencing disabled people’s employment through responses to reasonable adjustments, Disability & Society (Research by Disability Research Specialists, 19 July 2022)

3.     Work Couch episode: Addiction at work: Disciplinary or wellbeing issue? With Charlotte Reid and Eleena Misra, KC

4.    Work Couch episode: Narratives, reasonable adjustments, and the business case for accessibility, with Samantha Renke

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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 practice? Host Ellie Gelder is joined by senior associate Charlotte Reid and trainee solicitor Brodie Walker to explain:

• How JM differs from other forms of ADR;
• How JM works in practice and what employers can expect;
• The role of the judge in JM;
• When, in the life cycle of an employment tribunal claim or dispute, might the employer look to instigate the JM process;
• The pros and cons of JM; and
• The impact that the incoming Employment Rights Bill may have on the use of JM in the future.

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We hope you enjoyed this episode. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with all the latest episodes.

All information is correct at the time of recording.  The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

References

1. Guidance on Alternative Dispute Resolution issued by the President of Employment Tribunals in England and Wales (July 2023)

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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 or personal lives just because of their caring role.

To explore how employers play a critical role in removing these barriers, host Ellie Gelder is joined by two passionate advocates for carers: RPC's own Rachel Pears and Zahra Lakhan-Bunbury from Carers UK.

Rachel is associate director for responsible business and employment counsel at RPC, and is a carer herself. Last year, she spearheaded RPC's collaboration with Carers UK, which culminated in the Mind the Caring Gap report, which garnered widespread press attention.

Zahra, who is an account manager at Employers for Carers, the workplace arm of Carers UK, works with leading organisations including government departments, retailers and local authorities to identify and share best practice for supporting carers in the workplace. 

In part 2 of this series, Rachel and Zahra discuss:

·       Identifying as a carer and why some people don't see themselves as carers;

·       Distinguishing between different types of care and the unique challenges;

·       Caring responsibilities in the legal sector and some stark statistics;

·       The impact caring can have on the carer's physical and mental wellbeing; and

·       Key ingredients to create carer-friendly workplaces.

Listen to Part 1: Lived experiences, the law and the role of employers.

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We hope you enjoyed this episode. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with all the latest episodes.

All information is correct at the time of recording.  The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

References

Mind the caring gap: Exploring the impact of caring responsibilities in the legal sector (Report by RPC, LawCare and Next 100 Years, June 2024)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 or personal lives just because of their caring role.

To explore how employers play a critical role in removing these barriers, host Ellie Gelder is joined by two passionate advocates for carers: RPC's own Rachel Pears and Zahra Lakhan-Bunbury from Carers UK.

Rachel is associate director for responsible business and employment counsel at RPC, and is a carer herself. Last year, she spearheaded RPC's collaboration with Carers UK, which culminated in the Mind the Caring Gap report, which garnered widespread press attention.

Zahra, who is an account manager at Employers for Carers, the workplace arm of Carers UK, works with leading organisations including government departments, retailers and local authorities to identify and share best practice for supporting carers in the workplace. 

In part 1 of this series, Rachel and Zahra discuss:

• Their own experiences of caring and the impact on their respective personal and working lives;
• Existing statutory entitlements to time off work for carers, including the Carer's Leave Act 2023, which came into force on 6 April 2024;
• How an increasing number of employers are offering enhanced time off for their employees with caring responsibilities;
• The human and commercial reasons for employers to actively engage with this issue; and
• Why we need to be mindful when using the word 'resilience'.

Join us for Part 2 on 25 June, when we will look at the intersectional nuances of caring, the impact of caring on wellbeing, and how to create carer-friendly workplaces.

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We hope you enjoyed this episode. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with all the latest episodes. All information is correct at the time of recording.  The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

References

1.     Mind the caring gap: Exploring the impact of caring responsibilities in the legal sector (Report by RPC, LawCare and Next 100 Years, June 2024)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 overview of the decision, including:

·       A brief background to the case and the key question for the Supreme Court;

·       The legal implications of the decision with respect to same-sex facilities;

·       Divergence between the definition of 'sex', 'man' and 'woman' in the Equality Act 2010 and in the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992;

·       Biological sex definition and varying perspectives;

·       The interim update guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission;

·       Various legal challenges to the decision; and

·       Practical measures for employers to balance their legal obligations with their cultural and inclusivity goals, especially in relation to their trans colleagues.

To learn more about trans inclusion and how to be an effective ally, please listen to this previous Work Couch episode, with Emma Cusdin, Global Butterflies.

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We hope you enjoyed this episode. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with all the latest episodes.

All information is correct at the time of recording.  The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

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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 part of this series, we discuss:

• Identifying the less obvious signs of trauma;
• How to foster effective psychological safety;
• Key dos and don'ts when supporting a person affected by trauma;
• Commercial benefits of being a trauma-informed business; and
• The role of leadership in embedding a trauma-informed work culture.

You can listen to part 1 of this series here: Navigating trauma in the legal world (Part 1): Spotting the signs and understanding the science.

To access further support on mental health, you may wish to visit the Samaritans, Mind, or Rethink. Or you can use the text service from Shout on 85258.

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We hope you enjoyed this episode. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with all the latest episodes.

All information is correct at the time of recording.  The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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:

• Terminology and language to describe trauma;
• The various ways that trauma shows up in the legal world, from clients, to witnesses, to colleagues and other lawyers;
• How to spot the signs of trauma;
• The neuroscience behind stress and distress;
• Vicarious trauma; and
• How trauma affects people at different stages of their career.

Join us for part 2 next time when Rebecca and Camilla will explain how organisations can implement a trauma-informed work culture.

To access further support on mental health, you may wish to visit the Samaritans, Mind, or Rethink. Or you can use the text service from Shout on 85258.

* Please note these podcasts will not run on Internet Explorer

We hope you enjoyed this episode. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with all the latest episodes.

All information is correct at the time of recording.  The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.

In the second part of our series on the new statutory right to neonatal care leave, which came into force on 6 April 2025, host Ellie Gelder is joined once again by Joanna Holford, senior associate, from our employment, engagement and equality team, and Catriona Ogilvy, founder and chair of charity The Smallest Things.

Catriona and her team have worked tirelessly to campaign for better support for employees whose babies require neonatal care, while Joanna is frequently advising employer clients on all family-related rights.

In part 2, we discuss:

• How to communicate with employees during neonatal care leave;
• Ongoing challenges for parents beyond their return to work;
• Interaction of neonatal care leave with other forms of family-friendly leave;
• Scenarios not covered by the new legislation; and
• Practical considerations, including amending internal policies, providing line manager training, and offering effective support.

Listen to our previous conversation here: Neonatal care leave (Part 1): What is the new right, who is eligible, and does the law go far enough?.

For in-depth information and support, please visit The Smallest Things or Working Families, the UK's national charity for working parents and carers.

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We hope you enjoyed this episode. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with all the latest episodes.

All information is correct at the time of recording.  The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

References

Statutory Neonatal Care Pay (General) Regulations 2025

Neonatal Care Leave and Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 2025

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Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.

In the first part of our series on the new statutory right to neonatal care leave, which comes into force on 6 April 2025, host Ellie Gelder is joined by Joanna Holford, senior associate, from our employment, engagement and equality team, and Catriona Ogilvy, founder and chair of charity The Smallest Things.

Catriona and her team have worked tirelessly to campaign for better support for employees whose babies require neonatal care, while Joanna is frequently advising employer clients on all family-related rights.

We discuss:

·     Catriona's own lived experience of having a baby in neonatal care and why the law needed to change;

·     Who is eligible for neonatal care leave and how neonatal care is defined by the legislation;

·     The timing of neonatal care leave and an explanation of "Tier 1" and "Tier 2" leave;

·     Pay during neonatal care leave and eligibility requirements;

·     How partners may use neonatal care leave in addition to other forms of family-friendly leave; and

·     Whether the new legislation goes far enough in supporting people.

Join us for part 2 next time when we'll discuss the practicalities of implementing neonatal care leave.

For in-depth information and support, please visit The Smallest Things or Working Families, the UK's national charity for working parents and carers.

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We hope you enjoyed this episode. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with all the latest episodes.

All information is correct at the time of recording.  The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

References

Statutory Neonatal Care Pay (General) Regulations 2025

Neonatal Care Leave and Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 2025

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.

In the first instalment of our series on what to expect at an employment tribunal, host Ellie Gelder is joined by Kim Wright, Senior Associate, from our Employment, engagement and equality team, and Joseph England, a Barrister from 3PB Chambers who specialises in employment law, to talk about appearing as a witness. We discuss:

• How employment tribunals differ from civil courts;
• Who may be required to appear as a witness;
• Preparation of witness statements;
• What to expect on the day of the hearing itself;
• Tricky but common scenarios, including: illness, travel disruption, and giving evidence from overseas; and
• Key dos and don'ts when giving evidence at, or attending, a virtual hearing. 

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We hope you enjoyed this episode. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with all the latest episodes.

All information is correct at the time of recording.  The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

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Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.

In the second part of this series on data protection, host Ellie Gelder is joined once again by Jon Bartley, partner and Helen Yost, senior associate, both from our data advisory team to discuss data protection compliance in the employment context, and how to successfully navigate the key risk areas. We discuss:

• Why data protection is such a hot topic for employers now;
• Data subject access requests;
• Potential consequences of getting data protection wrong;
• Top tips for avoiding the worst consequences; and
• What's on the horizon for data protection law?

To stay up to date with all the latest in data protection law, please subscribe to our monthly newsletter Data Dispatch.

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We hope you enjoyed this episode. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with all the latest episodes.

All information is correct at the time of recording.  The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

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Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment. 

Host Ellie Gelder is joined by Charlotte Reid, senior associate, to explore the ground-breaking changes to the law on preventing sexual harassment of employees, which came into force on 26 October 2024, and further important changes on the horizon.

They discuss:

• The various types of conduct that the term 'sexual harassment' can include;
• Legislative reforms introduced by the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 and what they mean for employers;
• Proposals under the Employment Rights Bill to: (i) further boost the obligation on employers to prevent sexual harassment, (ii) include third party harassment in the Equality Act 2010 and (iii) introduce changes to the rules on whistleblowing to protect those who call out sexual harassment;
• The term 'reasonable steps' and the practical ways for employers to comply;
• How the reforms align with the broader regulatory landscape and increasing scrutiny into ESG credentials, for example, in the financial services sector; and
• The current pushback against DEI efforts in certain parts of the world and how this may affect DEI initiatives in the UK.

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We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please subscribe to be notified when new episodes release. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with the latest episodes.

All information is correct at the time of recording.

References

Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023

Employment Rights Bill

Employment Rights Bill – Explanatory Notes

TUC poll on sexual harassment, bullying and verbal abuse at work (May 2023)

TUC research on tackling and preventing sexual harassment (2022)

Fawcett Society: Tackling sexual harassment in the workplace: recommendations for employers (2021)

19th research on disability and sexual violence in the workplace (September 2023)

Work Couch episode: Avoiding the pitfalls of social washing, with Kelly Thomson

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Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment. 

In the first of a two-part series, host Ellie Gelder is joined by Jon Bartley, partner and Helen Yost, senior associate, both from our data advisory team to discuss data protection compliance in the employment context, and how to successfully navigate the key risk areas. We discuss:

• Why data protection is such a hot topic for employers now;
• Examples of particularly significant enforcement in relation to employee data;
• Overview of the key data protection principles;
• Sensitive/special category data in the employment context;
• Data protection in recruitment and during the employment life cycle; and
• What's in the pipeline for data protection compliance?

Data Download

Our Data and Privacy Group will be hosting our exclusive conference, Data Download, on 27 February 2025, with sessions from 2pm. The RPC specialist data teams and the ICO will examine key data protection challenges, from compliance to managing cyber incidents and disputes. Attendees will gain practical insights through an immersive case study, hear directly from Padi Dolatshahi, Principal Lawyer at the ICO, and explore upcoming developments in 2025—all while networking with leading professionals in the field. For further details and to RSVP, please click here. 

To stay up to date with all the latest in data protection law, please subscribe to our monthly newsletter Data Dispatch.

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We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please subscribe to be notified when new episodes release. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with the latest episodes.

All information is correct at the time of recording.

The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

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Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment. 

We kick off Season 3 with a look ahead to 2025, we will explore the employment law changes on the horizon as well as what you can be doing to prepare.

Ellie Gelder is joined by Kelly Thomson, partner and RPC's ESG lead, and trainee solicitor in our employment team, Mimosa Canneti, to discuss:

Strengthened trade union rights proposed by the Employment Rights Bill, including those relating to:

• Blacklisting;
• Strike action;
• Rules for statutory union recognition;
• Access rights; and
• Informing employees of their right to join a union

Extension to time limits for bringing employment tribunal claims

Creation of a Fair Work Agency to enforce certain rights

Other changes on the horizon

To hear more about the reforms proposed by the Employment Rights Bill, including unfair dismissal protection, flexible working, "fire and rehire" restrictions and much more, listen to our previous episode 

click here with partner and head of RPC's Employment, Engagement and Equality team Patrick Brodie.

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We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please subscribe to be notified when new episodes release. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with the latest episodes.

All information is correct at the time of recording.

The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

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Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.

Content warning: The following content deals with some challenging themes around disability discrimination.

Given the theme of this year's Disability History Month is disability, livelihood and employment, the Work Couch takes a deep dive into disability inclusion at work in a three-part mini-series with actress, writer, broadcaster and disability rights campaigner, Samantha Renke.

In part three, which coincides with International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Sam talks to host Ellie Gelder about:

·     The business case for universal accessibility;

·     Adopting a joined-up approach to internal and external accessibility, for example in the retail sector;

·     Understanding the different types of barriers (physical, information and communication, and attitudinal);

·     Adopting a holistic approach to accessibility; and

·     Examples of effective accessibility and allyship at work.

You can also listen to previous episodes in the mini-series:

·     Disability inclusion at work (Part 1): The lived experience, with Samantha Renke

·     Disability inclusion at work (Part 2): Narratives, reasonable adjustments, and the business case for accessibility, with Samantha Renke

* Please note these podcasts will not run on Internet Explorer

To access further support or information, you may wish to visit Scope or Disability Rights UK.

We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please subscribe to be notified when new episodes release. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with the latest episodes.

The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.

Content warning: The following content deals with some challenging themes around disability discrimination.

Given the theme of this year's Disability History Month is disability, livelihood and employment, the Work Couch takes a deep dive into disability inclusion at work in a three-part mini-series with actress, writer, broadcaster and disability rights campaigner, Samantha Renke.

In part two, Sam talks to host Ellie Gelder about:

·       problematic narratives around disability;

·       the financial pressures facing the disability community;

·       making reasonable adjustments for employees with disabilities;

·       unconscious bias and intersectional nuances; and

·       why disability inclusion should be a priority for the C-suite and business leaders.

Join us for the concluding part to this mini-series next week when we will look at what genuine accessibility at work looks like. You can also listen to Disability inclusion at work (Part 1): The lived experience, with Samantha Renke here.

* Please note these podcasts will not run on Internet Explorer

To access further support or information, you may wish to visit Scope or Disability Rights UK.

We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please subscribe to be notified when new episodes release. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with the latest episodes.

The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.

Content warning: The following content deals with some challenging themes around disability discrimination.

Given the theme of this year's Disability History Month is disability, livelihood and employment, the Work Couch takes a deep dive into disability inclusion at work in a three-part mini-series with actress, writer, broadcaster and disability rights campaigner, Samantha Renke.

In part one, Sam talks to host Ellie Gelder about her own lived experiences and insights as a disabled woman living in a disabling world. She also shares her thoughts on the social, medical and legal models of disability, as well as the meaning of the terms ableism and disabilism, and how they can arise in everyday situations.

Join us for part 2 next week when we will look at the narrative around disability, the financial pressures facing the disability community, making reasonable adjustments, and why disability inclusion should be a priority for the C-suite and business leaders.

* Please note these podcasts will not run on Internet Explorer

To access further support or information, you may wish to visit Scope or Disability Rights UK.

We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please subscribe to be notified when new episodes release. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with the latest episodes.

The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.

Handling disciplinary issues in the wrong way can lead to workplace conflict, legal risk and commercial headaches for employers. So what are the most tricky disciplinary issues that commonly arise, and how can employers navigate them?

Host Ellie Gelder is joined by Joanna Holford, senior associate in RPC's employment, engagement and equality team, who shares her top tips on handling the following disciplinary issues:

·     The employee raises a grievance partway through the disciplinary process.

·     The employee commences a period of sickness absence during the disciplinary process.

·     Adjusting the disciplinary process for an employee who has a disability.

·     The alleged behaviour is out of character for the employee concerned.

·     The disciplinary allegations involve a criminal element.

·     Refusal by the employee to cooperate with the employer’s disciplinary process.

·     Reluctant or uncooperative witnesses in a disciplinary investigation.

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We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please subscribe to be notified when new episodes release. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with the latest episodes.

The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

References

ACAS code of practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures

ACAS guidance

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