Paris Smith Podcast

The Disability Discrimination Podcast is your essential resource for staying informed on the latest issues in disability discrimination in the workplace. On this podcast, legal experts Andrew Willshire and Adam Wheal discuss the unique challenges faced by disabled individuals, while providing practical advice on diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in the workplace. Don't miss out on this valuable platform for professionals seeking to create more equitable workplaces. Tune in now to stay up-to-date on disability discrimination issues in the workplace! 00:00.0 - Introduction 00:49.8 - Background of the case 03:37.6 - Mrs. Boyers' claim of unlawful dismissal and disability discrimination was dismissed by the Employment Tribunal due to the DWP's argument of protecting public funds and her long-term absences affecting staff numbers. 05:17.3 - The DWP's dismissal of Ms. Boyer was deemed disproportionate due to the lack of evidence of legitimate aims and consideration for a work trial. 06:54.6 - Employers

The Paris Smith Employment Podcast is a regular podcast that discusses all things related to employment law. The podcast is hosted by Charlotte Farrell and Ryan Mitchell, both are lawyers at Paris Smith LLP. In today's episode, they discuss subject access requests and the key things businesses need to know about them. The GDPR was introduced in 2018 and has led to individuals becoming much more aware of their rights regarding their personal data. As a result, Paris Smith has seen more people making subject access requests. You can find out more info here: https://parissmith.co.uk/your-business/commercial-law/data-protection-and-gdpr/ 01:00:00 - The right to access personal data held by organisations is a legal right given to individuals. 02:00:00 - Personal data is any information that relates to an identified or identifiable living individual. 06:30:00 - Anonymised data can be excluded from a subject access request. 07:00:00 - Subject access requests are being used more often as a way to find informati

In today's episode, we'll be discussing the impact of menopause on employees, and some of the steps that employers can take to support staff experiencing menopausal symptoms. 01:21: To start with, we'll hear from Sarah Hayes, an employment lawyer at Paris Smith LLP. Sarah has extensive experience in advising employers on a range of issues relating to menopause, and she offers some great advice on how to support employees going through this difficult time. 09:00: We'll also be talking to Tabytha Cunningham, who provides some great tips on how employers can make reasonable adjustments to help staff manage their symptoms. 13:53: Finally, we'll ask Sarah about the usefulness of introducing a menopause policy, and she offers some great advice on what this could include. So, whether you're an employer looking to support your staff better through menopause, or an employee who's experiencing symptoms and looking for advice, you won't want to miss this episode Thank you for listening. References and further rea

Business Immigration specialists Charlotte Farrell & Jane Biddlecombe look at the issues around employing overseas nationals to work in the UK. This can seem like a daunting process, brought into sharp focus by Brexit and the end of free movement. It is something we are receiving more and more enquiries about. Find out more: https://parissmith.co.uk/your-business/business-immigration/ 00:50:00 What are the key things employers need to know about if they are thinking of employing oversees nationals to work in the UK on skilled worker visas? How do you know if the oversees national eligible? 02:30:00 Once you have established that the job role is at the correct skill and salary level and someone can be sponsored to work in the UK in that role, what should the business do next? Charlotte covers the detail of applying for a sponsor licence. 04:15:00 How long does the sponsor licence process take and what costs are involved? 04:30:00 What duties and responsibilities do you have as a sponsor? 05:15:00 What

Remote and hybrid working has now become the norm for many businesses. Not only can there be various benefits to this flexibility, but more and more prospective employees look for this when applying for roles. Employers who have embraced remote and hybrid working however need to ensure they are doing this compliantly; it's crucial to have the right policies in place and employment contracts. Employment experts Tabytha Cunningham and Charlotte Farrell discuss in our latest episode. Find our more: https://parissmith.co.uk/your-business/employment-law/ Download our guide to hybrid working: https://parissmith.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/media-Employment-Remote-and-hybrid-working.pdf 00:45 Why should employers formalise their remote working practices? Employers need to think about how they can support employees who are now permanently working from home. 02:33 What steps do employers need to take to formalise these new processes? Charlotte and Tabytha talk about the importance of having a hybrid worki

Many organisations are struggling with retaining talent, with some offering high salaries in order to attract and retain key people. But does this keep good staff in the long term? Employment experts Tabytha Cunningham and Claire Merritt explore the key factors that affect employee retention, and how you can keep existing staff happy and productive. Did you miss part 1? Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/user-732927814/employee-retention-part-1-recruitment-best-practice Find out more: https://parissmith.co.uk/your-business/employment-law/ 00:50 Claire talks through the importance of good and frequent communication in your business at all levels. 01:57 Training and development is key. Businesses change all the time and people are looking for their next challenge. 03:17 Managing staff after the pandemic and new skills. How can we effectively manage remote teams and keep them engaged? 05:43 Managing wellbeing and making employees feel valued. What tools are available? 06:55 Flexible working, work life b

Welcome to the first of our two-part employee recruitment and retention podcast. Lots of business are struggling to recruit and retain the right people for their organisation. Employment law experts Claire Merritt and Tabytha Cunningham explain how getting your processes right can really help. Find out more: https://parissmith.co.uk/your-business/employment-law/ 01:41 What does best practice look like? Claire examines how contracts of employment can be used as a key recruitment tool. 03:51 Going back to basics and focussing on the requirements of the role. 04:30 Your job adverts - be mindful of discrimination claims be careful with language 05:20 Ensuing you have an objective selection and interview process. 06:40 Risks of getting it wrong - the pressure on wage inflation, the gender pay gap. 09:03 A move towards openness - disclosing salaries and meeting candidate expectations. 10:22 Best practice for candidate onboarding and offering the best support. 12:00 Probationary periods and using these co

Welcome to part two of our two-part series on Employment Tribunals. In this podcast Employment experts Clive Dobbin, David Roath and Tabytha Cunningham answer your key questions about what happens on the day of a Tribunal. They chat through everything from how to give a witness statement to what to wear. For more information on how our team can help you: https://parissmith.co.uk/your-business/employment-law/tribunal-representation/ Show notes 00:50 What is the set up for a typical Employment hearing? David talks about how processes been pushed forward by the pandemic and what are the options for a virtual hearing. Do you get a choice which option you can have? 02:50 What should you know before the hearing to prepare? Tabytha explains what technology you should test if you are remote and some tips for making this process seamless. If you have an in-person hearing, what happens when you arrive and who will be there? Be prepared for lots of waiting around. 04:25 What preliminary matters will there be on t

Welcome to the first episode of our two-part series on employment tribunals. In this podcast Employment experts Clive Dobbin, Claire Merritt and Andrew Willshire cover the key steps in presenting a tribunal claim, and what employers should do in response to a claim. For more information on how our team can help you: https://parissmith.co.uk/your-business/employment-law/tribunal-representation/ Show notes 01:10 What is ACAS early consiliation and what do you need to do? We chat through how this process can help you address issues early and how ACAS can mediate. More information: https://www.acas.org.uk/early-conciliation 03:50 What is our advice for employers about ACAS early consiliation? Should you engage and what are the benefits? 05:25 Are ACAS overburdened and what are the implications? 06:30 We cover how an employee presents a claim to the tribunal and what documents are required. Access an ET1 form: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/make-a-claim-to-an-employment-tribunal-form-et1 07:55 We

Welcome to our latest employment law podcast, where employment law experts Claire Merritt and Tabytha Cunningham dive into the complex topic of performance management. They explore and advise on how to manage poor performance, why its so important, the key components of a good performance management process and how to address concerns. Find out more: https://parissmith.co.uk/your-business/employment-law/performance-management/ Show notes: 00:45 Why is performance management important? Good performance management leads to better productivity, open communication and allows managers to identify, and more importantly resolve issues. 02:20 How has performance management been affected by the pandemic? Good performance management is difficult at the best of times, and the pandemic had led many businesses to be in survival mode which means performance management slips off the radar. 05:05 What are the key components of performance management processes? The important things to remember are to be continuous, and

Employment experts Tabytha Cunningham and Claire Merritt answer the common questions managers have managing mental health at work. The pandemic has made it even more difficult to spot the signs of poor mental health, so how can we make sure we are being proactive as employers? Find out more: https://parissmith.co.uk/your-business/employment-law/mental-ill-health/ Show notes 01:55 What do we mean by managing mental ill health at work? 03:56 When are employers liable for work related stress? What are the risk factors and where do employers stand? 07:00 What proactive steps can managers take to improve mental health of staff? 11:03 What does it mean to be a mental health first aider? 12:05 When is poor mental health classed as a disability? 16:26 If someone is disabled, what adjustments should you make? 18:42 What should potential triggers or warning signs should managers look out for? 24:08 What should a manager do when an employee discloses a mental health problem? 26:20 How best to manage poor perf

Do your lawyers have the knowledge to win your case? There are many avenues your solicitor could go down to ensure you win, and keep costs down. Partner Helen Brown explores this. Find out more: https://parissmith.co.uk/your-business/commercial-disputes/ Show Notes: 00:40 What normally happens when you have a commercial dispute? Helen describes the situation you want to avoid 01:30 Helen considers some of the tactical mistakes that are made during a commercial dispute resolution process 01:47 Helen suggests some ideas to think about when you are going through a commercial dispute, how can you ensure you win?

Employment Solicitor Sarah Hayes takes us through a guide to settlement agreements. Why are they beneficial? What should you need to know and what are the practical steps that need to be taken for them to be legally binding? Find out more: https://parissmith.co.uk/your-life/employment-law-advice/settlement-agreements/ Show notes 00:28 What is a settlement agreement? Sarah defines what it means 00:48 What is the purpose of a settlement agreement and what will include 01:15 There are various benefits of having a settlement agreement - Sarah talks through what these are 02:00 How long does it take to agree the terms of a settlement agreement? 02:40 It is important to see a solicitor if you are issued with a settlement agreement - Sarah talks about how this works in practice 04:06 What happens if you want to negotiate the terms of your agreement and do you have to sign the agreement? Sarah explains in detail and what the implications are for you. 04:45 How do you know if you're getting a fair deal? 05:30 What i

How do you settle commercial disputes without going to court? Mediation can hold the key. In his latest podcast, Managing Partner Peter Taylor explains what mediation is and how it applies to commercial disputes. Find out more: https://parissmith.co.uk/your-business/commercial-mediation/ Show notes: 00:28 What is mediation? Peter defines what happens 01:00 How successful is mediation statistically and what is the role of the nominated mediator? 01:27 Mediation can be particularly useful when parties need to maintain a relationship. Peter talks through when this might be the case 01:43 Peter talks about the wider benefits of mediation as opposed to the courts. 02:26 What happens if a dispute is not settled in a mediation? 02:49 Are there any disadvantages to mediation? 03:42 What is the process in mediation? Peter explains the stages which parties go through step by step 05:55 What happens when a settlement is agreed? When is this legally binding? 06:58 What does a settlement through mediation feel like?

We are delighted to be sponsoring the app for the Knights Foundation's Teddy Bear Appeal app; a project which will allow the conversion of a lodge at a beautiful location on the south coast of England overlooking the sea is to to a high specification so that disabled families can enjoy a holiday in exactly the same way as an able-bodied family. Find out more: https://parissmith.co.uk/your-life/safeguarding-vulnerable-people/ Families with a vulnerable child will face many difficult decisions. In our latest podcast, we aim to offer bite size legal advice to help these families. Partner Elizabeth Power talks through what options are available with regards to decision making when these vulnerable children turn 18. Show notes: 00:50 How does the role of a parent change when a vulnerable child turns 18? 02:00 Elizabeth talks about how frustrating it can be for parents to communicate with medical professionals once a vulnerable child turns 18 02:15 What happens when a professional assesses the young person? Eliz

Recent media coverage around dress code at work has sparked examination into the guidance available for employers; what legal principles do you need to know before making any changes to dress code policy? Solicitor Sarah Hayes discusses. Find out more: https://parissmith.co.uk/your-life/employment-law-advice/ Show notes 00:30 Sarah talks about recent media coverage from Japan around workplace dress codes - what can we learn from this? 01:25 Sarah examines a recent example from the UK 02:00 Sarah talks about the Equality Act - are there gaps? 02:30 New guidance is published for employers and employees - how are these applied in practice? 03:10 What does this mean for employers and what should you consider if revising your dress code policy?

It is often assumed that selling the family home is the only way to pay for care fees as this is often the biggest asset; however this is not always the case. Legal Assistant Ashleigh Bryant talks through the key legal principles you should be aware of if you are in this situation. Find out more: https://parissmith.co.uk/your-life/safeguarding-vulnerable-people/arranging-care-needs/ Show notes 00:40 Why it is important that you know the basic principles? 00:50 Ashleigh talks though Property Disregards and how these works 01:21 Ashleigh goes into more detail about 12 week Property Disregard 01:50 Ashleigh considers deprivation of assets - how does this work? 02:30 Summary and where to go if you have questions

Planning Consultant Peter Kershaw looks at the housing crisis in his first podcast. He explores how accessible housing providers can provide their long term investment planning for elderly and disabled housing schemes. Show notes: 00:35 Peter introduces his podcast by reflecting on a comment by Winston Churchill 01:20 Peter considers the impact of the lack of lack of appropriate housing being built in the last few years 02:00 What do stakeholders need to do to combat these issues? 02:40 Peter explores the survey findings from Ipsos MORI social research institute: public perceptions of accessible housing 07:24 Peter considers the demographic in more detail by looking at research conducted by The Centre for Ageing better about how people experience later life 09:49 Peter looks at what should stakeholders consider and the key things to remember 10:47 Peter talks about various organisations that exist that can assist stakeholders in their future investment decisions 12:54 Peter concludes and summarises

By looking at a previous real world example, Aleksandra Golat from our Employment law department answers the question, can an employee enforce payment of a discretionary bonus? Find out more: https://parissmith.co.uk/your-life/employment-law-advice/ Show notes 00:43 When can employees enforce a discretionary bonus, what must they do? 01:00 Aleksandra discusses the case of Bluestone Medical Recruitment 03:05 What factors need to be considered by the employer and the employee? 03:45 What can we learn from this case? How should employers take this in practice?

With cohabiting couples the fastest growing family type in England and Wales, the rights and responsibilities surrounding cohabitation are of growing importance to couples who are (or are looking to) cohabit. The myth goes that after a qualifying period of cohabitation (usually thought to be either 2 or 5 years) cohabitants acquire the rights and responsibilities of marriage in the eyes of the law. Find out more: https://parissmith.co.uk/your-life/family-law/cohabitation-and-unmarried-couples/ However, this is not the case and is very misleading as to the reality of the legal position. Listen to our podcast from Family Solicitor Danielle Taylor to hear all about the truths behind this legal myth Show notes: 00:45 What myths do people believe about cohabitation? Dani introduces the myth of the 'Common Law spouse' 01:07 How does legislation define cohabitation? The misleading language that fuels misconceptions: Dani explains what this really means in the eyes of the law 01:47 What constitutes a cohabitant? 0