The Xperthr Podcast

This episode of the Brightmine podcast features Shantha David, Head of Legal Services at UNISON, in conversation with Robert Shore and Laura Kimpton. We dive into how the Bill is reshaping UK employment law, and explore the implications for HR.  Shantha has won landmark victories in the Supreme Court that have reshaped the legal landscape. Her work champions equity, dignity and justice for workers across the public sector. Read the transcript What to read, listen to and watch next On your radar  April 2025 employment law changes: Five-point checklist for HR  Podcast: Neonatal care leave - a practical guide   Webinar: Ethnicity data disclosure - fostering trust and building engagement for a better workplace

Join us on the podcast as Jeya Thiruchelvam, Internal Communications and Engagement Lead at Brightmine, shares powerful insights on how organisations can truly harness the full potential of their people. Discover how employees can grow, thrive, and elevate their careers · all without changing employers. It's a conversation about talent, transformation, and the future of work you won't want to miss. Download the transcript Related Brightmine resources Managing retention: Creating a retention strategy Leadership development: A driver of business success Four steps HR can take to help businesses and employees embrace the new "squiggly" careers era Podcast: Rethinking recruitment and reskilling  

Cathryn Edmondson, lead consultant at Innecto Reward Consulting, joins the podcast to talk about gender pay gap reporting - its history, current challenges and the upcoming legislative changes that organisations need to know about. What to read, listen to and watch next Pay transparency - do the right thing Mind the gap: How are countries implementing the EU Pay Transparency Directive? Podcast: Gender pay gap reporting - a global view Webinar: Pay transparency - the value of honesty and some pitfalls to avoid

Ferzana Ahmed and Mith Ragukaran, solicitors at law firm Fragomen, join us to talk through the latest immigration developments and issues affecting HR professionals, including what's on the horizon. Read the transcript Related resources Transition to eVisas 2024: Key updates and action points for employers  Immigration rules and right to work On your radar 

In October 2024 the Government launched a major overhaul of employment law in the form of the Employment Rights Bill. A number of important amendments have been introduced since the proposed legislation was first published. Stephen Simpson, principal editor at Brightmine, joins the podcast to provide an update and help HR departments prepare for the changes. Download the transcript What to read, listen to and watch next On your radar  April 2025 employment law changes: Five-point checklist for HR  Podcast: Neonatal care leave - a practical guide   Webinar: Ethnicity data disclosure - fostering trust and building engagement for a better workplace 

Jo Broadbent, counsel knowledge lawyer at Hogan Lovells, joins us to discuss the new right to neonatal care leave and look at likely forthcoming changes to family-friendly employment rights in the Employment Rights Bill.  Read the transcript Related resources Webinar: Statutory neonatal care leave - how employers can prepare Neonatal care leave Neonatal care pay Neonatal care leave: Four scenarios employers could face

Susie Munro, senior legal editor at Brightmine, looks at three cases where employers have lost "discrimination arising from disability" claims after treating workers unfavourably because of disability-related absence.  Related resources Disability-related absence: Tribunal round-up On your radar Disability discrimination - line manager training

Justine Woolf, director of consulting at Innecto Reward Consulting, joins the podcast to tell us about pay transparency legislation in the US and EU and why employers in the UK need to be prepared for change - and how their organisations can benefit by taking a proactive approach. To access the white paper discussed by Justine, click here. Read the transcript What to read, listen to and watch next Pay transparency - do the right thing Demystifying the EU Pay Transparency Directive for UK employers Podcast: Gender pay gap reporting - a global view Webinar: Pay transparency - the value of honesty and some pitfalls to avoid

WhatsApp and other informal instant messaging platforms are an invaluable communication resource for individuals and groups. But as some recent legal cases have shown, they can also create problems when they are used in a work environment. Sam Dickinson, an employment lawyer and partner at Mayo Wynne Baxter solicitors, joins the podcasts to talk about the pitfalls - and what employers can do to manage risk. Related resources Sexual harassment liability: Employment tribunal round-up Compensation awards: Employment tribunal round-up Use of email, instant messaging and internet at work policy

A significant proportion of the population have criminal records. So what are the legal requirements when thinking about recruiting someone with a spent or unspent conviction? And are employers that shy away from engaging with ex-offenders failing to make use of a valuable resource and even damaging their organisations? Debbie Sadler of Unlock and Brightmine senior legal editor Laura Merrylees join the podcast to discuss these questions and more.  Related resources Job applicants with convictions Recruitment of people who have criminal record policy Six key takeaways from the 2023 CIPD conference

Psychological safety is one of the cornerstones of a productive, progressive workplace. Strategist, futurist and data scientist Wilson Wong joins the podcast to discuss how to build it, how to measure it and what can go wrong when it’s lacking in an organisation. Read the transcript Related resources How to create psychological safety at work Developing employee performance: Purpose, psychological safety and belonging Materials referenced/recommended by Wilson Amy Edmondson's book The Fearless Organization The APA 2024 survey on Psychological Safety in American Workplaces A meta-analytic review examining the antecedents and outcomes of psychological safety Wilson's own blog about identity at work: Navigating Identity at the workplace and Corporate Behaviour in 2024: How did it get so bad?

Laura Kimpton, HR strategy and practice editor at Brightmine, discusses how organisations, and line managers in particular, can support and champion neurodiversity in the workplace. Topics include: employers' legal duties under the Equality Act; the value of adopting a "needs-led" approach; making reasonable adjustments; approaches to onboarding and communication. Read the transcript Related resources Neurodiversity policy Introduction to neurodiversity - line manager training Supporting neurodivergent candidates - line manager training Onboarding: Workplace orientation - line manager checklist Tailored reasonable adjustments plan for disabled employee Employment law cases concerning neurodiversity

The Labour Government published its highly anticipated Employment Rights Bill on 10 October 2024. In this edition of the podcast, Brightmine employment law experts Zeba Sayed and Stephen Simpson analyse the key proposals in the Bill and offer advice on how HR can begin to prepare for the changes. Read the transcript The accompanying slides can be downloaded here Related resources Podcast: Employment Rights Bill Q&A  Employment Rights Bill published: 10 highlights for HR from the first draft  On your radar  Webinar: Employment Rights Bill – how HR can get ahead of the changes 

The Labour Government published its highly anticipated Employment Rights Bill on 10 October 2024. In this edition of the podcast, Brightmine employment law experts Zeba Sayed and Stephen Simpson answer questions on different aspects of the Bill, from the timeline for the measures coming into effect to the nuances of the proposed unfair dismissal and fire and rehire changes. Read the transcript Related resources On your radar  Podcast: What changes should HR prepare for from the Employment Rights Bill? Employment Rights Bill published: 10 highlights for HR from the first draft  Webinar: Employment Rights Bill – how HR can get ahead of the changes 

What will the people profession look like in 2035? How will AI transform HR practices over the next decade? And how can HR teams prepare for the ethical challenges posed by emerging technologies like AI? Tessa Hilson-Greener joins the podcast to answer these questions and many more besides. Related resources AI fundamentals: How to identify AI needs in HR Three areas of focus for the AI workplace revolution Revolutionising AI rules for global employers Use of AI chatbots at work policy

With changes to the law regarding sexual harassment in the workplace coming into effect this autumn · and further changes promised in the Government·s Employment Rights Bill · we are joined by Lisa Bell from Tell Jane to discuss the new legal duty on employers, the impact of technology and generational shifts in attitude.  Related resources Building a working environment free from harassment and sexual harassment – Leading practice guide New sexual harassment prevention duty: 10-point checklist for HR Sexual harassment risk assessment form

The phrase ·four-day week· has been trending in the media of late · and being used to refer to quite different things, to the confusion of many! In this edition of the podcast we aim to clear up some common misunderstandings. Related resources Right to request flexible working  Flexible working requests policy Compressed hours policy  Managing hybrid/flexible workers - line manager training

Justine Woolf, director of consulting at Innecto Reward Consulting, offers tips for HR to boost employee engagement and ensure that organisations get a better ROI on their benefits. Related resources Webinar: Why now is the time to align your rewards with your EVP Podcast: Evolving your EVP to meet the needs of a multigenerational workforce How to develop a reward strategy Rebuilding in 2024: Strategies for reshaping worker expectations

Andrew Walker, new business development director with Personal Group, joins us to discuss the significant changes and trends shaping the future of work, and to explore strategies to evolve your employee value proposition (EVP) to meet the diverse needs of a multigenerational workforce. Related resources Webinar: Why now is the time to align your rewards with your EVP How to develop a reward strategy Rebuilding in 2024: Strategies for reshaping worker expectations What is an employee value proposition (EVP)?

From wellness and neurodiversity to ·hotelification·, Rachel Basha, founder and CEO of the architecture and design practice Basha-Franklin, discusses the ways in which the shifting needs and character of the 21st-century workforce are reshaping office design. Related resources Deskless and disengaged - how can you stop me from leaving? Introduction to neurodiversity - line manager training Health and wellbeing policy Webinar: Hybrid working - how to personalise the employee experience