Employment Essentials

From smart drugs to ketamine, substance use is no longer just a concern for safety-critical industries. In this episode of our Employment Essentials podcast, Partners Jonathan Chamberlain and Anna Fletcher explore the growing presence of drugs in white-collar workplaces and share practical advice for employers. Drawing on recent research, including a 2025 Bupa survey revealing that over one-third of employees have engaged in or witnessed substance abuse or addictive behaviours during working hours, Jonathan and Anna unpack the legal, cultural, and operational implications of this trend. The episode covers: ·       The surprising prevalence of drug use in professional settings ·       The blurred lines between recreational use and workplace impairment ·       Legal risks of enforcing zero-tolerance policies ·       The role of workplace culture and stress in fuelling addiction ·       Disability protections under the Equality Act and how they apply to addiction Whether you're considering implementing a drug policy or supporting employees through addiction, this episode offers practical guidance for employers navigating this complex issue. You can find this episode and the accompanying transcript on our website: https://gowlg.co/46P68o1  ... Gowling WLG is an international full-service law firm working across a range of industry sectors including real estate, government, financial services, life sciences and technology. We operate across the world with offices in the UK, Europe, Canada and the Middle East. We regularly talk about a broad range of topics that may be of interest to you. Subscribe to receive our latest articles, podcasts and webinars straight to your inbox: https://gowlg.co/35efH2r Alternatively, you can view our full selection of insights and resources here: https://gowlg.co/3IwEr41 Want to get to know us? Follow us on: LinkedIn: https://gowlg.co/3hqmatB  Twitter: https://gowlg.co/35Do0nY  Facebook: https://gowlg.co/3th2w8N  Instagram: https://gowlg.co/3tEf2iq This podcast may contain information of general interest about current legal issues, but does not give legal advice.

How does terminating employment contracts vary between different jurisdictions? Our global employment lawyers discuss the key issues and differences in termination in China, Germany and the UK in the next episode of our 'Employment law in China' podcast series. Lawyers Le Rong (China), Annette Knoth (Germany) and Jonathan Chamberlain (UK) explore terminating contracts in detail including the different types of employment contracts, severance payments, probationary periods and more. Listen to the episode now. You can find this episode and the accompanying transcript on our website: https://gowlg.co/3YtZBJk  ... Gowling WLG is an international full-service law firm working across a range of industry sectors including real estate, government, financial services, life sciences and technology. We operate across the world with offices in the UK, Europe, Canada and the Middle East. We regularly talk about a broad range of topics that may be of interest to you. Subscribe to receive our latest articles, podcasts and webinars straight to your inbox: https://gowlg.co/35efH2r Alternatively, you can view our full selection of insights and resources here: https://gowlg.co/3IwEr41 Want to get to know us? Follow us on: LinkedIn: https://gowlg.co/3hqmatB  Twitter: https://gowlg.co/35Do0nY  Facebook: https://gowlg.co/3th2w8N  Instagram: https://gowlg.co/3tEf2iq This podcast may contain information of general interest about current legal issues, but does not give legal advice.

Who owns IP rights in an employee relationship? And how do these rights differ between employment law in China, Germany and North America? Andrew Bratt, Head of the National Labour Employment Law Practice in Gowling WLG Canada, hosts the next episode of our 'Employment law in China' series, and is joined by guests Annette Knoth, Head of Labour and Employment in our Frankfurt office, and Elliot Papageorgiou, Head of IP Strategy and Enforcement in China. They discuss the complex landscape of IP rights in employment, delving into key issues that may affect your business, including: Employees' rights to remuneration for an invention created How to avoid disputes over remuneration policies How to affectively compensate employees for their inventions, whether it be a patent or trade secret. How companies can protect their trade secrets You can find this episode and the accompanying transcript on our website: https://gowlg.co/3AsW3Pr  ... Gowling WLG is an international full-service law firm working across a range of industry sectors including real estate, government, financial services, life sciences and technology. We operate across the world with offices in the UK, Europe, Canada and the Middle East. We regularly talk about a broad range of topics that may be of interest to you. Subscribe to receive our latest articles, podcasts and webinars straight to your inbox: https://gowlg.co/35efH2r  Alternatively, you can view our full selection of insights and resources here: https://gowlg.co/3IwEr41  Want to get to know us? Follow us on: LinkedIn: https://gowlg.co/3hqmatB  Twitter: https://gowlg.co/35Do0nY  Facebook: https://gowlg.co/3th2w8N  Instagram: https://gowlg.co/3tEf2iq  This podcast may contain information of general interest about current legal issues, but does not give legal advice.  

What does employment law in China really look like and what do you need to know before starting an employment relationship in China? We explore these key points in our new podcast series 'Employment law in China'.  In this episode, Jonathan Chamberlain is joined by Annette Knoth who heads our German Labour and Employment practice in Frankfurt, and Vivian Desmonts, Co-Managing Partner of our Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing offices. They discuss the particularities of Chinese employment law and employing people in China, exploring key issues including: Oversees companies with operations in China Taxation considerations when sending employees to China Employing consultants and freelancers Employee rights You can find this episode and the accompanying transcript on our website: https://gowlg.co/3X2hW0F ... Gowling WLG is an international full-service law firm working across a range of industry sectors including real estate, government, financial services, life sciences and technology. We operate across the world with offices in the UK, Europe, Canada and the Middle East. We regularly talk about a broad range of topics that may be of interest to you. Subscribe to receive our latest articles, podcasts and webinars straight to your inbox: https://gowlg.co/35efH2r  Alternatively, you can view our full selection of insights and resources here: https://gowlg.co/3IwEr41  Want to get to know us? Follow us on: LinkedIn: https://gowlg.co/3hqmatB  Twitter: https://gowlg.co/35Do0nY  Facebook: https://gowlg.co/3th2w8N  Instagram: https://gowlg.co/3tEf2iq  This podcast may contain information of general interest about current legal issues, but does not give legal advice.

Labour's New Deal for Working People has brought a whole host of legislative changes to employment law, some of the most radical in decades, to tackle exploitative practices and enhance employment rights. For businesses and employers, this means a myriad of changes and policies to come to terms with, and fairly quickly, with the Employment Rights Bill expected to be introduced within 100 days of the new Parliament. Our Head of UK Employment, Labour and Equalities team Jonathan Chamberlain, sits down with Partner Anna Fletcher to discuss the two new bills: the Employment Rights Bill and the Draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, and what the new governmental policies and legislations mean for businesses, employers, and employees. We also discuss the recent employment law changes in more detail in this article: https://gowlg.co/3WutY1z   You can find this episode and the accompanying transcript on our website: https://gowlg.co/3LiEmoQ  ... Gowling WLG is an international full-service law firm working across a range of industry sectors including real estate, government, financial services, life sciences and technology. We operate across the world with offices in the UK, Europe, Canada and the Middle East. We regularly talk about a broad range of topics that may be of interest to you. Subscribe to receive our latest articles, podcasts and webinars straight to your inbox: https://gowlg.co/35efH2r  Alternatively, you can view our full selection of insights and resources here: https://gowlg.co/3IwEr41  Want to get to know us? Follow us on: LinkedIn: https://gowlg.co/3hqmatB  Twitter: https://gowlg.co/35Do0nY  Facebook: https://gowlg.co/3th2w8N  Instagram: https://gowlg.co/3tEf2iq  This podcast may contain information of general interest about current legal issues, but does not give legal advice.

Employment partner Jonathan Chamberlain is joined by Bernardine Adkins, head of our EU, Trade and Competition team, to discuss the CMA's new guidance to support employers in compliance with competition law and reduce the potential for anti-competitive practices in labour markets. You can find this episode and the accompanying transcript on our website: https://gowlg.co/3LiEmoQ  ... Gowling WLG is an international full-service law firm working across a range of industry sectors including real estate, government, financial services, life sciences and technology. We operate across the world with offices in the UK, Europe, Canada and the Middle East. We regularly talk about a broad range of topics that may be of interest to you. Subscribe to receive our latest articles, podcasts and webinars straight to your inbox: https://gowlg.co/35efH2r  Alternatively, you can view our full selection of insights and resources here: https://gowlg.co/3IwEr41  Want to get to know us? Follow us on: LinkedIn: https://gowlg.co/3hqmatB  Twitter: https://gowlg.co/35Do0nY  Facebook: https://gowlg.co/3th2w8N  Instagram: https://gowlg.co/3tEf2iq  This podcast may contain information of general interest about current legal issues, but does not give legal advice.

After employment contracts, settlement agreements are one of the most common contracts that employers deal with but are you meeting the legal requirements? Are you protecting the business properly with due consideration? Spoiler alert: Consideration is one of the issues not to miss! Join us in this session for an update on the most common pitfalls when preparing settlement agreements. You can find this episode and the accompanying transcript on our website: gowlg.co/3jUrXfG ... Gowling WLG is an international full-service law firm working across a range of industry sectors including real estate, government, financial services, life sciences and technology. We operate across the world with offices in the UK, Europe, Canada and the Middle East. We regularly talk about a broad range of topics that may be of interest to you. Subscribe to receive our latest articles, podcasts and webinars straight to your inbox: https://gowlg.co/35efH2r Alternatively, you can view our full selection of insights and resources here: https://gowlg.co/3IwEr41 Want to get to know us? Follow us on: LinkedIn: https://gowlg.co/3hqmatB Twitter: https://gowlg.co/35Do0nY Facebook: https://gowlg.co/3th2w8N Instagram: https://gowlg.co/3tEf2iq This podcast may contain information of general interest about current legal issues, but does not give legal advice.

Monitoring staff at work is a legal minefield. Navigating it in compliance with data protection principles has been made all the more difficult with ICO guidance being buried in the depths of an out-of-date employment practices code. Luckily, the ICO has been busy updating many of its online resources; one such release is the "Employment practices: monitoring at work draft guidance" intended to help employers understand their data protection obligations. But what exactly are those obligations? Has anything changed since the last guidance was issued? Tune into this session to find out. You can find this episode and the accompanying transcript on our website: gowlg.co/3IaSWfb ... Gowling WLG is an international full-service law firm working across a range of industry sectors including real estate, government, financial services, life sciences and technology. We operate across the world with offices in the UK, Europe, Canada and the Middle East. We regularly talk about a broad range of topics that may be of interest to you. Subscribe to receive our latest articles, podcasts and webinars straight to your inbox: https://gowlg.co/35efH2r Alternatively, you can view our full selection of insights and resources here: https://gowlg.co/3IwEr41 Want to get to know us? Follow us on: LinkedIn: https://gowlg.co/3hqmatB Twitter: https://gowlg.co/35Do0nY Facebook: https://gowlg.co/3th2w8N Instagram: https://gowlg.co/3tEf2iq This podcast may contain information of general interest about current legal issues, but does not give legal advice.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been touted as the Next Big Thing in HR. Indeed, it's already here. Or is it, really? And what does it mean for employment law and the employment relationship in any event? When you look beyond the hype, it is clear there are still profound questions that need answering and pitfalls to avoid. After all, to err is human: but to really foul up requires a computer… You can find this episode and the accompanying transcript on our website: https://gowlg.co/3HTIyt5 ... Gowling WLG is an international full-service law firm working across a range of industry sectors including real estate, government, financial services, life sciences and technology. We operate across the world with offices in the UK, Europe, Canada and the Middle East. We regularly talk about a broad range of topics that may be of interest to you. Subscribe to receive our latest articles, podcasts and webinars straight to your inbox: https://gowlg.co/35efH2r Alternatively, you can view our full selection of insights and resources here: https://gowlg.co/3IwEr41 Want to get to know us? Follow us on: LinkedIn: https://gowlg.co/3hqmatB Twitter: https://gowlg.co/35Do0nY Facebook: https://gowlg.co/3th2w8N Instagram: https://gowlg.co/3tEf2iq This podcast may contain information of general interest about current legal issues, but does not give legal advice.

You can find this episode and the accompanying transcript on our website: https://gowlg.co/3Fu3Fkt  ... Gowling WLG is an international full-service law firm working across a range of industry sectors including real estate, government, financial services, life sciences and technology. We operate across the world with offices in the UK, Europe, Canada and the Middle East. We regularly talk about a broad range of topics that may be of interest to you. Subscribe to receive our latest articles, podcasts and webinars straight to your inbox: https://gowlg.co/35efH2r  For the final instalment of this TUPE Tuesday podcast series, Siobhan Bishop, PSL principal associate in our Employment, Labour & Equalities team, explores the Retained EU law (Revocation and Reform) Bill 2022-2023 and what it might mean for TUPE. We'll also be looking ahead to potential developments and changes on the horizon to prepare you for the new year. Alternatively, you can view our full selection of insights and resources here: https://gowlg.co/3IwEr41  Want to get to know us? Follow us on: LinkedIn: https://gowlg.co/3hqmatB  Twitter: https://gowlg.co/35Do0nY  Facebook: https://gowlg.co/3th2w8N  Instagram: https://gowlg.co/3tEf2iq  This podcast may contain information of general interest about current legal issues, but does not give legal advice.

Our TUPE Tuesday podcast series, exploring the latest developments from the Employment Appeal Tribunal, continues this week with a look at share incentive plans. Siobhan Bishop, PSL principal associate in our Employment, Labour & Equalities team, explores the case of Ponticelli UK Ltd v Gallagher. The case deals with a TUPE transfer and whether rights to participate in a share incentive plan, which were under a collateral contract, transferred under TUPE. You can find this episode and the accompanying transcript on our website: gowlg.co/3Vwsd1B ... Gowling WLG is an international full-service law firm working across a range of industry sectors including real estate, government, financial services, life sciences and technology. We operate across the world with offices in the UK, Europe, Canada and the Middle East. We regularly talk about a broad range of topics that may be of interest to you. Subscribe to receive our latest articles, podcasts and webinars straight to your inbox: https://gowlg.co/35efH2r  Alternatively, you can view our full selection of insights and resources here: https://gowlg.co/3IwEr41  Want to get to know us? Follow us on: LinkedIn: https://gowlg.co/3hqmatB  Twitter: https://gowlg.co/35Do0nY  Facebook: https://gowlg.co/3th2w8N  Instagram: https://gowlg.co/3tEf2iq  This podcast may contain information of general interest about current legal issues, but does not give legal advice.

Our TUPE Tuesday podcast series explores significant developments from the Employment Appeal Tribunal from the past year to keep you in the loop with the latest TUPE news. Siobhan Bishop, a PSL principal associate in our Employment, Labour and Equalities team, explores this issue of a Service Provision Change and whether the activities pre and post transfer were fundamentally the same, in the case of Tuitt v London Borough of Richmond Thames. The case concerns what happened when Broadland terminated its CCTV monitoring contract with the local authority. You can find this episode and the accompanying transcript on our website: gowlg.co/3OoX65O ... Gowling WLG is an international full-service law firm working across a range of industry sectors including real estate, government, financial services, life sciences and technology. We operate across the world with offices in the UK, Europe, Canada and the Middle East. We regularly talk about a broad range of topics that may be of interest to you. Subscribe to receive our latest articles, podcasts and webinars straight to your inbox: https://gowlg.co/35efH2r  Alternatively, you can view our full selection of insights and resources here: https://gowlg.co/3IwEr41  Want to get to know us? Follow us on: LinkedIn: https://gowlg.co/3hqmatB  Twitter: https://gowlg.co/35Do0nY  Facebook: https://gowlg.co/3th2w8N  Instagram: https://gowlg.co/3tEf2iq  This podcast may contain information of general interest about current legal issues, but does not give legal advice.

As the year draws to a close, we are here to provide you with an update and the information you need to start the new year. There have been some significant TUPE developments from the Employment Appeal Tribunal. Our TUPE Tuesday podcast series will bring you up to speed on the latest updates, the implications of recent cases, and the potential new developments that are likely to come next year. In this week's podcast, Siobhan Bishop, a PSL Prinicpal Associate in our Employment, Labour & Equalities team, takes a look at the case of Clark v Middleton, where the Employment Appeal Tribunal considers TUPE Information and Consultation claims where there had been a settlement with the Transferee (using a COT3). You can find this episode and the accompanying transcript on our website: gowlg.co/3EwmzqA ... Gowling WLG is an international full-service law firm working across a range of industry sectors including real estate, government, financial services, life sciences and technology. We operate across the world with offices in the UK, Europe, Canada and the Middle East. We regularly talk about a broad range of topics that may be of interest to you. Subscribe to receive our latest articles, podcasts and webinars straight to your inbox: https://gowlg.co/35efH2r  Alternatively, you can view our full selection of insights and resources here: https://gowlg.co/3IwEr41  Want to get to know us? Follow us on: LinkedIn: https://gowlg.co/3hqmatB  Twitter: https://gowlg.co/35Do0nY  Facebook: https://gowlg.co/3th2w8N  Instagram: https://gowlg.co/3tEf2iq  This podcast may contain information of general interest about current legal issues, but does not give legal advice.

What's been happening in employment law? Here are our top picks of the latest employment law developments from an unusually busy summer that may affect your business.  You can find our Employment Essentials article here: https://gowlingwlg.com/en/insights-resources/articles/2022/employment-essentials-september-2022/   Gowling WLG is an international full-service law firm working across a range of industry sectors including real estate, government, financial services, life sciences and technology. We operate across the world with offices in the UK, Europe, Canada and the Middle East. We regularly talk about a broad range of topics that may be of interest to you. Subscribe to receive our latest articles, podcasts and webinars straight to your inbox: https://gowlg.co/35efH2r  Alternatively, you can view our full selection of insights and resources here: https://gowlg.co/3IwEr41  Want to get to know us? Follow us on: LinkedIn: https://gowlg.co/3hqmatB  Twitter: https://gowlg.co/35Do0nY  Facebook: https://gowlg.co/3th2w8N  Instagram: https://gowlg.co/3tEf2iq  This podcast may contain information of general interest about current legal issues, but does not give legal advice.

It's been another busy year for employment law, with COVID-19 continuing to dominate 2021. 'No jab, no job' and 'hybrid working' were the buzz phrases of the year, replacing 'homeworking' and 'furlough' from 2020, although homeworking is making a last minute sprint finish as we approach the end of December. The modern workplace is continuing to evolve and uncertainty remains, with new COVID-19 variants emerging and Government announcements being made. But as the year draws to a close, our Employment team encourages you to sit back in front of the telly with a light heart (well, as much as one can muster in the midst of a global pandemic at least) and reflect on this past year's notable cases with our annual review. Read our employment case law picks from the last 12 months and find out what came out on top in our 2021 awards: https://gowlg.co/3yUDwqo Subscribe... YouTube: https://bit.ly/2VhOhU6 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3kgiDzZ We regularly talk about a broad range of topics that may be of interest to you. Register for an account on our website to receive our latest articles, podcasts and webinars: https://gowlg.co/3lhcJPy Follow us on... LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/2WRdHsN Twitter: https://bit.ly/3n3Zljn Facebook: https://bit.ly/3zOyQlf

A widespread implementation of post-pandemic hybrid working models is changing what employers and employees require from their office spaces.  With most people looking to continue spending at least some of their time working from home, but employers still recognising the benefits of being in the office, flexibility is a key priority. In this final episode of our Return to the Office podcast series, Real Estate partner Felicity Lindsay joins Anna Fletcher to discuss what the future may hold for offices and how the role of a physical workplace will continue to change. Find out more about our Employment team here: https://bit.ly/2XSPsbD We regularly talk about a broad range of topics that may be of interest to you. Register for an account on our website to receive our latest articles, podcasts and webinars: https://bit.ly/2VrbZKR This podcast may contain information of general interest about current legal issues, but does not give legal advice.

Health and safety has always been a priority for employers, but it's never been more important than now. With COVID-19 restrictions lifting and employees slowly making their return to the office, there are new considerations and issues that employers need to take into account to ensure that their workplaces are COVID-safe. And the implications of getting this wrong could be severe. In this second episode of our 'Return to the Office' podcast series, Anna Fletcher is joined by partner and Health & Safety expert, Andrew Litchfield, to discuss everything that employers need to know to ensure that their return to the workplace runs smoothly and safely. Find out more about our Employment team here: https://bit.ly/2XSPsbD We regularly talk about a broad range of topics that may be of interest to you. Register for an account on our website to receive our latest articles, podcasts and webinars: https://bit.ly/2VrbZKR This podcast may contain information of general interest about current legal issues, but does not give legal advice.

With the end of COVID-19 restrictions in sight, many businesses and their employees will be returning to the office within the next few months. While some employers will expect their workforce to be back full-time, others will adopt a hybrid way of working with employees' time split between the office and home. This presents an array of challenges and issues that employers need to prepare for to ensure safety in the workplace, as well as business continuity. This podcast series, brought to you by Gowling WLG's Employment team, discusses the key issues and how employers should address them to make sure their return to the office runs smoothly. In this first episode, legal director Anna Fletcher is joined by partner Jocelyn Paulley from our Data Protection team. Jocelyn will be discussing the key considerations that employers need to focus on in terms of data protection compliance in this new workplace and how to make sure that confidential information remains secure. Find out more about our Employment team here: https://bit.ly/2XSPsbD We regularly talk about a broad range of topics that may be of interest to you. Register for an account on our website to receive our latest articles, podcasts and webinars: https://bit.ly/2VrbZKR This podcast may contain information of general interest about current legal issues, but does not give legal advice.

Getting to grips with the changes that have been brought in as a result of the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR) for all FCA regulated businesses is not easy. In a series of six podcasts, we've brought together our employment and financial regulation experts to simplify this area and explain clearly what those working within legal, risk, compliance, HR and operations need to think about at each stage of the employment cycle when it comes to complying with the SMCR. In this sixth episode, we cover the ever present question of culture. You can find a transcript for this episode on our website: https://bit.ly/393TnGr   Find out more about our Employment team here: https://bit.ly/3bi5e5F  We regularly talk about a broad range of topics that may be of interest to you. Register for an account on our website to receive our latest articles, podcasts and webinars: https://bit.ly/3tEjT1f 

Getting to grips with the changes that have been brought in as a result of the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR) for all FCA regulated businesses is not easy.  In a series of six podcasts, we've brought together our employment and financial regulation experts to simplify this area and explain clearly what those working within legal, risk, compliance, HR and operations need to think about at each stage of the employment cycle when it comes to complying with the SMCR. This is a bonus episode where we discuss running an effective investigation in an SMCR context.  You can find a transcript for this episode on our website: https://bit.ly/393TnGr  Find out more about our Employment team here: https://bit.ly/3bi5e5F   We regularly talk about a broad range of topics that may be of interest to you. Register for an account on our website to receive our latest articles, podcasts and webinars: https://bit.ly/3tEjT1f