Pre-election Preparation for Employers 2024
A comprehensive pre-election round-up on the changes you can expect and how to prepare for them
Date: Thursday, 13th June
Time: 09:30 - 12:30
Cost per attendee: £195 + VAT per attendee
(If you can't attend the live event, we can send a link post event to watch the recording. Cost: £125 + VAT - please contact registrations@bfi.co.uk)
Although not a done deal, the probable upcoming Labour victory will have a profound effect on UK employers, with their stated commitment to expanding and enshrining workers’ rights.
Forward-thinking employers are already examining the possible changes and implications of potential rises in financial and administrative burdens and rises in claims.
We'll cover:
- What are the changes and where might you be venerable
- Equality act changes and implications
- Potential immigration law changes - how should employers prepare?
- Trade union relations - Repeal of the TU Act 2016
- Recruitment and onboarding and policy issues to review
- Employment status changes - potential consequences
- Essential actions and panel Q&A
With thirty years, three changes of government and eight prime ministers under our belts, BFI is uniquely positioned to offer a one-stop three-hour round up for employers who want to prepare for the post-election landscape. Avoid a headache on July 5th and benefit from this unique comprehensive round up of what organisations must do to ensure their policy, practice, training and compliance is fit for purpose under the new government.
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Hear from
Schedule
Welcome & housekeeping
Elizabeth Smith
Director of Research , Business Forums International Ltd. (BFI)
Elizabeth is director of research and a founding co-director at Business Forums International. She is responsible for all programme content and writing, and researches current areas of interest for senior HR professionals in large organisations. BFI is the UK’s leading HR risk specialist conference and training provider, delivering key and timely information to over 3,000 delegates a year both through public and in-house training courses. Before founding BFI in 1996, Elizabeth specialised in researching corporate financial programmes in Asia and the Middle East, based in Dubai. She also worked in advertising and publishing in the Middle East and London. Elizabeth was educated in the West Indies, Saudi Arabia and Belgium before reading Modern Languages at Durham University. She is currently developing an online training course for line managers to raise awareness of menopause symptoms and ways that employers can work to make their workplaces more inclusive.
Day one statutory employment rights / enforcement & remedies
Jane Mann
Employment Lawyer , Fox Williams
Partner in Fox Williams' employment team with significant experience advising employers, partnerships, senior executives and partners on the full range of employment and partnership law issues.
- What are the changes and where might you be vulnerable?
- Changes to unfair dismissal: implications for employers
- Removal of compensation caps?
- Q&A
Equality act changes and implications
Fudia Smartt
Partner – Employment Law , Spencer West LLP
Fudia Smartt is a Partner at Spencer West LLP. She joined the firm in September 2019, having previously been Partner at a boutique employment practice in Chancery Lane. Her previous work experience includes practising in highly regarded employment teams at both Russell Cooke LLP (a top 100 London firm) and City firm Fox Williams LLP. Covering every stage of the employment life cycle, Fudia advises on non-contentious and contentious matters for both employers and employees on topics such as bullying, harassment (including sexual harassment), unfair and wrongful dismissal, restrictive covenants, discrimination, whistleblowing, maternity and other family-friendly matters. She has experience across a wide range of sectors, with particular expertise in technology, media, financial services and professional services. Fudia has significant experience in the following: Advising on day to day HR operational issues, which includes on how to avoid grievances and disciplinary/dismissal issues; Senior executive appointments and departures (which often include regulatory issues); Bringing and defending complex discrimination and whistleblowing claims in the employment tribunals; Advising employers and employees (as well as partners) on the enforceability of restrictive covenants and confidentiality agreements, including in relation to team moves; Drafting contracts of employment, service agreements and HR policies; Advising companies on restructuring exercises, redundancies (including collective redundancies) and employment issues arising from insolvency; Advising on TUPE-related matters including in relation to outsourcing and property transactions; Advising both employers and employees on data protection issues; Advising business start-ups in a wide range of industries on how to protect and grow their businesses at a reasonable cost; Providing HR advice and tailored training to clients and external bodies on all employment law matters, from recruitment to dismissal and beyond; Advising members on joining LLPs; and Drafting, negotiating and advising on settlement agreements. She has acted on a number of high profile (and commercially sensitive) matters which has resulted in six-figure settlements for her clients. She has also acted on matters in the County Court, High Courts, Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) and Court of Appeal. Fudia is praised by her clients for her creative problem-solving skills and her ability to provide commercial, tailored legal advice in a friendly and empathetic manner. She has a high emotional intelligence which she uses to assist with getting the results her clients want. Fudia is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association.
- Dual discrimination and protected characteristics
- Compulsory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting
- Q&A
Potential immigration law changes: How should employers of non-UK workers prepare?
Ian Westwood
Immigration Consultant , The Westwood Organisation
Ian Westwood worked at the Home Office from 1993-2003. He was an operational Immigration Officer serving at Heathrow, Gatwick and Dover before being promoted to Chief Immigration Officer based in Croydon. Since then he has set up his own consultancy business, providing training and immigration advice to a variety of corporate and private clients on the subject of Immigration. He is regulated by the Office of the Immigration Service Commissioner to provide immigration advice in the UK. Ian’s training credentials include the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s Certificate of Training Practice and the Belbin Team-Role Accreditation.
Comfort break
Trade union relations
David Hopper
Partner , Lewis Silkin LLP
David Hopper is a Partner at Lewis Silkin in London, which Legal 500 2022 recognises as being noted by some as having ‘the strongest team in the UK for some industrial relations issues, particularly union recognition’. David specialises in advising on industrial relations, with Chambers UK having repeatedly commended him for his expertise in collective employment law and referred to him in 2022 as ‘outstanding’. He is regularly called upon by employers to develop proactive industrial relations strategies. This includes negotiating collective agreements and advising on their operation in practice. He also advises on all aspects of industrial action, including union balloting, picketing and the strategic considerations involved in deciding whether to seek a strike injunction. David regularly advises employers with both unionised and non-unionised workforces on business reorganisations, business transfers and labour cost reductions. He also regularly defends collective employment law proceedings in the Central Arbitration Committee and Employment Tribunal. He has acted for clients at all levels up to the Supreme Court.
- Sectoral collective bargaining: implications for employers
- Repeal of the TU Act 2016
- Banning on fire and rehire practices
- What are the new information and consultation obligations?
- Q&A
Family friendly rights and work-life balance
Elizabeth McGlone
Partner & Solicitor , Didlaw Employment Lawyers
Elizabeth has extensive experience in all aspects of Employment law and practice, predominantly on the employee side having developed a strong person centred practice over the last 12 years. Elizabeth specialises in discrimination law and whistleblowing cases with a specific focus on sexual harassment and disability. Elizabeth is passionate about her work and achieving the best possible outcome for her clients when they are facing both stress and turmoil. Elizabeth is adept at advising clients with mental health issues especially those with PTSD and other stress induced disorders. Elizabeth goes above and beyond for her clients. Elizabeth trained at a small regional practice and single-handedly built an employment department. She then moved to Bindmans LLP to head up its employment team from 2018 to 2020. Elizabeth has since worked as a Partner at Harrison Clark Rickerbys, a commercial firm with a large employment team. Elizabeth is on the advisory board of Rights of Women providing guidance and insight on the law surrounding sexual harassment and sex discrimination. Elizabeth regularly provides Pro Bono advice to Suffolk Law Centre and is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association. Elizabeth is a mother of two and relishes the challenge of balancing motherhood and her career. Elizabeth enjoys running, baking and collecting designer handbags.
- Reviewing the quality of your process to identify vulnerable areas
- Remote hiring: where could you get into trouble?
- Right to WFH and/or remotely
- Paternity and maternity leave changes
- Pregnant women and the workplace
- Bereavement leave and other proposed changes that will affect employers
- The right to disconnect: how will you be affected as an employer?
- Q&A
Comfort Break
Panel discussion: essential actions an employers pre-election checklist
Employment status changes: clarification and potential consequences
Rebecca Seeley Harris, LLB (Hons) LLM MSc
Employment Status, Off-payroll & IR35 Expert
Re Legal Consulting Ltd
Rebecca Seeley Harris, LLB (Hons) LLM MSc
Employment Status, Off-payroll & IR35 Expert , Re Legal Consulting Ltd
Rebecca is a leading expert and thought leader on employment status, off-payroll working and IR35 and is the author of CEST Explained. Recently she won the Contracting Industry Influencer of the Year 2023 and last year won the FSB Self-employed Sole Trader of the Year. She was also shortlisted for Outstanding Contribution to Taxation 2020-21 in the Tolley’s Taxation Awards for her campaigning work during the Covid pandemic. Rebecca set up her legal consultancy, Re Legal Consulting Ltd, when the Inland Revenue brought in the IR35 tax initiative some 23 years ago. Since then Rebecca has specialised on IR35, off-payroll working and the employment and tax status of the self-employed and personal service companies. She works with clients nationally and internationally, the private and the public sector, with representative organisations and government. Rebecca was seconded to the Office of Tax Simplification (an independent body of HM Treasury) as a Senior Policy Adviser to advise the government on employment and tax status. Reporting direct to the Chancellor, Rebecca was part of a small team of experts who drafted the Employment Status Review 2015 and the Small Company Taxation review [2016] leading on the taxation of nano companies and the self-employed. Rebecca developed the concept of SEPA, providing a vehicle to the self-employed to be able to protect the family home. Rebecca was also a representative on the Cross-Government Working Group on Employment Status and also published the review into the taxation of the Gig Economy. She is a member of the Tax Faculty of the ICAEW and is a consultant to the British Universities Finance Directors Group (BUFDG) and Urgent Health UK, amongst others. She has recently written a book called CEST Explained which, as the title suggests, explains HMRC’s digital tool Check Employment Status for Tax. Rebecca is often quoted in the press including the Financial Times, the Telegraph and the Times amongst others. She also contributes to the professional press and writes articles on employment status. Rebecca has most recently started a campaign for the regulation of umbrella companies and the protection of umbrella company workers. She does this voluntarily by drafting policy documents for the government to use to bring forward legislation.
- Single status worker: what does this mean and what will it mean for employers
- ‘Day one rights’ - implications for NI and tax contributions for employers
- Change of statutory definitions for the self-employed
- Will the self-employed get holiday pay and sick pay?
- What does this mean for working with contractors under IR35 and Off-payroll Working?
- Q&A
Recap and final Q&As
End of briefing
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