Events
Upcoming events
Our annual Employment law full-day updates will be held in Manchester and London during June. Watch this space for more information.
Previous events
Employment law seminar - Creating an inclusive and diverse business
Manchester on Monday 25th March and London on Tuesday 26th March
Creating a diverse and inclusive workplace will improve morale, promote innovation, and enhance the success of your business. Do you know how you can do it?
In five practical and interactive sessions, our team of experienced employment lawyers will answer:
1 Does a more diverse leadership group improve business performance?
2 What must you do to comply with the new employer's duty to prevent sexual harassment of employees?
3 What practical steps can support equity, diversity and inclusion in your business?
4 How should you tackle unconscious bias and micro-aggressions?
5 How can you avoid costly discrimination claims?
There is no charge to attend. The seminars start at 9.30am and finish by 1.00pm. Refreshments will be available from 9.00am (with registration) and during a mid-morning break.
Employment law update 2023
London on 22nd June 2023 and Manchester on 23rd June 2023
Since our last Employment law update 12 months ago we have seen three Prime Ministers, two monarchs and a May with more bank holidays than you could possibly imagine (well, as many as there have been Prime Ministers anyway). We are inviting you to join us for Watershed's free annual update on employment law for 2023. As usual, we will be in Manchester and London in June.
Increasing inflation seems here to stay for the moment as does the associated 'cost of living' crisis so we will be looking at how that interacts with employment law: pay, strike action and issues for employers as an increasing number of people turn to second and third jobs.
We will be talking about how law affects the way you manage situations where poor performance overlaps with an employee's mental health, and how to recognise when the Equality Act 2010 may apply and its implications.
As we see an increase in whistleblowing, we will look at what a public interest disclosure is, when it is protected and what is whistleblowing detriment. Then, we will discuss the problems we see with whistleblowing policies and their application, and outline ways you might reform them.
We will be looking at redundancy, covering the basics of individual and collective processes and consultation requirements as well as tackling more complex situations for those with more experience, including: how to identify pools for selection, rules around electing employee representatives for collective consultation, identifying establishments and much, much more...
With misconduct under the microscope, we will consider when it can happen outside work, including cases where the conduct is potentially criminal.
And of course, our annual update would not be complete without our in-depth look at recent case law as well as guiding you through what's happening in employment law now, summarising recent legislative changes that you need to know about, and covering what changes are on the horizon. As usual we will help you deal with the challenges employment law poses.
There is no charge to attend. Each day starts at 9.15am and finishes at around 3.45pm. Refreshments will be provided at registration (8.45am), at morning and afternoon breaks and in the form of a buffet at lunch.
There will also be an opportunity to learn about our wider work on HR matters and all delegates will receive the new edition of our handbook, Employment law for line managers. We hope you will be able to join us.
Employment law update March 2023 - How can you create an inclusive business?
London on 27th March 2023 and Manchester on 28th March 2023
Creating a diverse and inclusive workplace will improve morale, promote innovation, and enhance the success of your business.
How can you do it?
In five practical and interactive sessions, our team of experienced employment lawyers will answer:
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How should your business tackle microaggressions and unconscious bias?
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How can you support your employees' mental health?
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When does banter become harassment?
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How can you lawfully balance flexible working requests with the needs of your business?
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How must you protect your business from discrimination claims?
There is no charge to attend. The seminars will start at 9.45am and finish by 12.30pm. Refreshments will be available from 9.15am (with registration) and during a mid-morning break.
Employment law update October 2022 - How can you build an inclusive business?
London on 19th October 2022 and Manchester on 20th October 2022
Creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace improves morale, boosts innovation and enhances business success. How can you do it?
In five practical and engaging sessions, our team of experienced employment lawyers will answer:
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What are the case law developments on expressing gender-critical beliefs at work?
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How should you support employees who are experiencing the menopause?
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How can you foster a culture that includes transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming employees?
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How should your business embrace and support neurodiversity?
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How must you protect your business from discrimination claims?
There is no charge to attend. The seminars will start at 9.45am and finish by 12.30pm. Refreshments will be available from 9.15am (with registration) and during a mid-morning break.
Employment law update June 2022 - we're back
Manchester on 14th June 2022 and London on 16th June 2022
We are back, in person, for Watershed's free annual update on employment law for 2022. As usual we will be in Manchester and London in June. I do hope you will be able to join us.
After two years of Covid-19, furlough, lock-downs and either working from home, or trying to cope with 'business as usual' through the pandemic, like everyone we are trying to move on and focus on what lies ahead; but undoubtedly Covid- 19 will get a mention as it continues to have an impact, albeit a lesser one.
In the new (mainly) post-Covid world, the employment landscape looks different. New expectations born out of re-evaluating priorities and inevitable change mean employers must keep up with new working methods, different approaches and shifting priorities. So, we will look at modernising policies and procedures, flexible and hybrid working and the implications of a four-day week.
After several requests at our last seminar, we will also give an overview and refresher on TUPE (or the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations as you may otherwise know it) and look at how to navigate the law on changing terms and conditions after a TUPE transfer. We'll talk about how to deal with those who serially raise grievances and discuss some of the complex issues that arise in disciplinaries, such as requests to cross-examine witnesses, attempts to delay and bringing up health issues for the first time. We will also look at the controversial and newsworthy practice of firing and rehiring when effecting organisational change, the law and the risks.
And of course, our annual update would not be complete without our in-depth look at recent case law, covering cases on discrimination, unfair dismissal, and redundancy. We will guide you through what's happening in employment law now, summarising recent legislative changes that you need to know about, as well as covering what changes are on the horizon. As usual we will help you deal with the challenges employment law poses.
There is no charge to attend. Each day starts at 9.15am and finishes at around 3.45pm. Refreshments will be provided at registration (8.45am), at morning and afternoon breaks and in the form of a buffet at lunch.
There will also be an opportunity to learn about our wider work on HR matters and all delegates will receive the new edition of our handbook, Employment law for line managers. We hope you will be able to join us.
Employment law update - six thorny questions
London on 26th April 2022 and Manchester on 28th April 2022
Our team of experienced employment lawyers will explore:
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How should we deal with an employee who has anxiety about returning to work in the office, when they could work from home, but we don’t want them to?
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Why has P&O done what it's done and is it legal? What can we learn from it?
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Our employee's expression of their beliefs is starting to be disruptive. When do their beliefs become protected under the Equality Act 2010 and what can we do about the situation?
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Our employee is under investigation by the police for a serious offence. We can't prove whether the allegations are true, but we have lost trust and confidence in them. Will it be fair to dismiss?
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What can I do about an employee who is currently off sick with stress but is posting photos of themselves partying, climbing mountains and skydiving on social media?
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After accepting an alternative position during a redundancy consultation, an employee is not performing in their new role. How do we deal with this?
There is no charge to attend. The seminars will start at 9.15am, and finish by 11.15am. Refreshments will be available at 8.45am (with registration) and during a mid-morning break.
Employment law update - What you need to know
Manchester on 12th October 2021 and London on 14th October 2021
This event marks the return of our ever popular short seminars. These sessions complement our annual employment law updates in June.
Our team of experienced employment lawyers will cover interesting areas such as:
Creating a hybrid working model
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What roles are suitable for hybrid working?
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What are the legal considerations?
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What should a hybrid working policy cover?
Coronavirus latest
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Can an employer require employees to be tested for coronavirus (Covid-19)?
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Can an employer require employees to have a coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccination?
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If an employee is advised to self-isolate, what should you pay them?
Managing an employee's mental health
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What are the risks?
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Who might be at risk?
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How can you help?
Difficult redundancy selection exercises
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How can you score people consistently and fairly?
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How can disability and maternity affect selection?
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When can you use competitive interviews?
There is no charge to attend. The seminars will start at 9.15am, and finish by 11.15am. Refreshments will be available at 8.45am (with registration) and during a mid-morning break.
Returning to the office
Thursday 27th May 2021
Covid-19 forced many to work remotely. But what now? A return to March 2020; full remote working; or a hybrid of home and office working?
In the webinar we answer:
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How can you move to hybrid working?
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How should you deal with an employee who refuses to attend work because of Covid-19?
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Can you make Covid-19 workplace testing compulsory?
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What should an employer do when absence is caused by stress at work?
April 2021 webinar - jabs, unions, holidays and discrimination
Compulsory vaccinations, what can you do when union negotiations break down, taking holidays and the annual increases
March 2021 webinar - IR35 and the Uber decision
Some things to consider about IR35 and why the Supreme Court thinks that Uber drivers are workers
Social media
Warning: this video includes a direct quote of a social media post that was part of a harassment case. Some people may find the language offensive.
A discussion about some of the problems that can happen when staff use (or abuse) social media.
Managing remote employees
Some things you need to consider when managing remote employees
Employment law update 2021: Case law update 2
Employment law update 2021: Data subject access requests
What to do if we receive a data subject access request.