Discrimination
Welcome to Allen & Overy’s Employment Talk blog, sharing with you our views into the latest trends and risks on all forms of discrimination, including direct, indirect, victimisation, equal pay, harassment, bullying, dignity at work and diversity. We will share our insights on existing protected characteristics (sex, race, sexual orientation, age, transgender, religion, disability, maternity and pregnancy) as well as those coming through the back door such as caste and new categories of disability such as obesity.
Serena got it right – sort of…
10 September 2018 - Robbie Sinclair
The evidence speaks for itself. Serena was right when she told the world that women have been treated less favourably than men on the tennis court. They have. Her mistake was to use her position, her frustration, and her under performance to make this point. She would have been better off to accept the initial › Read More
01 August 2018 - Sheila Fahy
There were far too many evenings in July when I found myself in the company of the Islanders. I started off as a reluctant viewer, not least because the remote was hijacked ritually at 8.59pm by my teenage son. My protests about trash TV and fairness fell on deaf ears so I gave in and › Read More
Women on top – celebrating #SuccessfulWomen
19 June 2018 - Sarah Henchoz
Getting women into senior positions is commercially savvy. Nowadays this is the received wisdom from the great and the good. Even last week’s report from the House of Commons Treasury Committee on Women in Finance cited McKinsey evidence from their report Diversity Matters of the “statistically significant relationship between a more diverse leadership team and › Read More
The 2018 FIFA World Cup – are you ready?
08 June 2018 - Robbie Sinclair
With the countdown to the World Cup in Russia this summer already well underway (it kicks off on Thursday 14 June 2018), now is the time for employers to consider the impact that a four-week showpiece international football event may have on the workplace. Are you ready? History tells us that staff morale and interest › Read More
Leadership lessons from horse trainers
27 April 2018 - Robbie Sinclair
It’s funny from where we take our inspiration. As an Irishman, I am keen on horse racing, but I surprised even myself this week when a horse trainer taught me an unexpected lesson about leadership. This week is Ireland’s final race meeting of the year. Who will be champion trainer? Everyone is talking about the fierce › Read More
Post-punk, the youth and anti-discrimination
20 April 2018 - Sheila Fahy
Always aspiring to be young at heart, I went to see one of Britain’s most exciting bands, Shame, last night. They were all the things you should be when you are 20-something: rebellious, angry, provocative and thrilling. It’s been a while since I’ve been in the midst of such frenetic energy so I held onto › Read More
The FCA talks tough on diversity – a sign of its approach to fitness and propriety?
23 March 2018 - Sarah Henchoz
We are often asked by clients to what extent the FCA would consider employees who have been found to have acted in a discriminatory and/or bullying manner to no longer be considered fit and proper; whether these issues form reportable concerns to the FCA, do they amount to conduct rule breaches and, of course, do › Read More