The Brightmine Podcast (UK)

International and domestic politics, issues of gender and sexuality: people disagree about lots of things. Understandably, many organisations worry about the impact of controversial beliefs being expressed in the workplace - perhaps because of the effect on other employees, perhaps just because of the distraction that disputes can cause. In this edition of the podcast, employment law specialist Darren Newman joins us to discuss how organisations can navigate conflicts of belief in the workplace. Darren sets out the relevant case law and tackles questions including: Related resources Gender reassignment discrimination: Gender fluid and non-binary identities are protected Religion or belief discrimination: Gender-critical belief is protected, EAT holds Balancing competing rights: A difficult challenge for employers

Running an employment tribunal claim can be complicated and requires careful management. We are joined by part-time employment tribunal judge Tina Elliott, who offers practical tips on how to prepare effectively. The topics we discuss include:

We are joined by Louise Haycock, immigration solicitor and partner at law firm Fragomen, to discuss the latest immigration changes affecting employers and the workforce, and how HR can prepare for them.

The rules around COVID-19 were very clearly drawn in 2020. But what is the state of play now, not just in relation to COVID but to illness in the workplace generally? What should organisations do about employees who are nervous about returning to the workplace? Or about at-risk employees, particularly when infection rates are high? Or about long COVID - is it now treated as a disability? Bar Huberman, strategy and practice head of content at XpertHR, offers guidance. Resources Disability discrimination: Employee with long COVID was disabled Hybrid working: Setting up the workplace for effective hybrid working How to respond where an employee is reluctant to return to the workplace

According to a YouGov survey, 15% of people meet their partners at work. Given how widespread the phenomenon is, to what extent does HR need to take an interest in office romances? Stephen Simpson, principal strategy and practice editor at XpertHR, joins us to discuss the finer points of workplace relationship etiquette and to answer the (somewhat unromantic) question: Should the UK introduce US-style "love contracts"? Resources How to manage personal relationships at work Personal relationships at work - line manager training Personal relationships at work policy Personal relationships at work quiz - line manager training

Rebekah Martin, senior vice president of reward, inclusion and talent acquisition at AstraZeneca, joins us to talk about the changing motivations and requirements of the workforce - connection to purpose, skills-based learning, recognition and more. She discusses her role at AstraZeneca and sets out a series of ways in which organisations can try to ensure that they are employers of choice for Gen Alpha, the next generation to join the workforce. Resources Managing retention: Employee development Six strategies to attract talent and remain competitive in 2024 Rebuilding in 2024: Strategies for reshaping worker expectations Five HR priorities for 2024

Mindfulness can be a great tool for building employee engagement and team cohesiveness. XpertHR's in-house mindfulness teacher, Christopher Bryant, explains how to make it work for you. Related resources How a mindfulness group can help HR promote engagement and teamwork

Gender pay gap reporting is now well established in the UK. But what approaches are being taken elsewhere in the world, and what difference might the new EU Pay Transparency Directive make? Elle Barreto and Ro Carracedo Lopez, international editors at XpertHR, answer these questions and more. Related resources Demystifying the EU Pay Transparency Directive for UK employers EU employment law developments Gender pay gap reporting How to measure and report a gender pay gap

What financial challenges does the coming year have in store for organisations as they plan their reward strategy? Paula Flores and Hannah Mason, data insight analysts at XpertHR, make their predictions based on the findings from our autumn pay forecasts and priorities survey. Resources XpertHR surveys Reward planning 2024: priorities and key challenges Forecasts for pay awards in 2023/2024 Benchmarking - HR Metrics

In this edition of the podcast we are joined by Fay Wallis to discuss growth mindsets, the power of small steps and other strategies to build your confidence as you develop your career. About Fay Wallis Fay specialises in career and executive coaching for HR professionals. She is the creator of The HR Planner, a resource for setting and achieving your work and career goals for the year. She is also the host of HR Coffee Time, a podcast that focuses on career development in HR. Her website is brightskycareercoaching.co.uk. Resources Leading practice guide: Managing change successfully Podcast: Five steps to yourself from burning out - help for struggling HR professionals Webinar: Adapting to change - helping HR find balance and calm in uncertainty Podcast: Building HR resilience

There’s been a lot of discussion around flexible working reforms in the media and elsewhere recently, sometimes generating confusion as well as providing insight. So what are employers’ current obligations, what changes have been agreed by Parliament and when are they due to be implemented? In this edition of the podcast, we are joined by XpertHR senior legal editor Laura Merrylees to answer these questions.

We explore the key changes in discrimination law that have occurred since the Equality Act 2010 came into force and offer an overview of important case law. Resources related to this podcast Employment law guide: Equality and human rights Employment law cases

In this edition of the podcast we are joined by Kate Redshaw to discuss the future role of AI in the workplace, and the pivotal role that HR professionals can play in terms of how their organisations can best unlock its potential.

Zeba Sayed and Stephen Simpson discuss the importance of having workplace policies that advance gender equality, diversity and inclusion, and highlight some of the innovative policies that progressive employers are now adopting. If you have questions or ideas for future editions of the show, you can email us at podcast@xperthr.co.uk. We would love to hear from you!

It is critical for employers to follow a fair procedure before dismissing an employee. Here, Fiona Cuming, senior employment law editor at XpertHR, discusses a series of recent employment tribunal decisions where unfair dismissal claims proved successful because of procedural mistakes made by the employer during the disciplinary process.

Workplace sickness absence is a complicated area for employers. In this edition of the podcast, Paula Flores, an HR Data Insights Analyst at XpertHR, leads us on a tour of the findings of our annual survey of absence rates and costs. What are the trends and what measures can employers adopt? Resources referenced in this podcast How to manage an employee with a poor sickness absence record How to set absence triggers and targets Short-term sickness absence policy Long-term sickness absence policy Absence rates and costs: XpertHR survey 2023

Age discrimination can be a tricky area for employers. In this edition of the podcast, Susie Munro, Senior Legal Editor at XpertHR, leads us on a tour of recent cases that offer examples of how things can go wrong if they are mishandled and provides some tips on avoiding typical age-related traps. If you have questions or ideas for future editions of the show, you can email us at podcast@xperthr.co.uk. We would love to hear from you! The resources Susie refers to are: Age discrimination: Case law round-up Age discrimination: Employment tribunal round-up Can direct age discrimination be justified? Workforce planning How to work without a compulsory retirement ageRetirement Managing poor performanceMore episodes from The XpertHR Podcast

According to a recent survey, 98 per cent of HR professionals said they had felt burned out in the past six months. In this episode we ask: On hand to address these questions are Debbie Kleiner, from Wellbeing in Work, and Bar Huberman, XpertHR's HR Strategy & Practice Content Manager. We are also hoping to make a second episode in which we explore your experiences of burnout. You can email us at podcast@xperthr.co.uk. We would love to hear from you! If you would like to discover more about Debbie's work, you can visit her website, wellbeing-inwork.co.uk, or email her at hello@wellbeing-inwork.co.uk. For all the resources mentioned in this podcast, visit XpertHR.

We look at the challenges and opportunities arising in immigration in 2023 for HR and employers, including: