Expert Analysis

• Return-To-Office Policy Considerations For UK Employers

  

  As the Financial Conduct Authority reviews its hybrid working policy and other organizations increasingly require employees to return to the office, employers should weigh the costs and benefits of these decisions while considering the nuances of work-from-home rights in the U.K., say lawyers at Shoosmiths.

• FCA Misconduct Guide Will Expand Firms' Duty To Investigate

  

  The Financial Conduct Authority's recent proposals on workplace nonfinancial misconduct will place a greater onus on compliance and investigations teams, clarifying that the question to ascertain is whether the behavior is justifiable and proportionate, say lawyers at Ashurst.

• SRA Ruling Raises Issue Of Jurisdiction Over Private Conduct

  

  The recent Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal ruling, suspending a former Orrick associate after determining that a criminal offense of nonconsensual touching had occurred, serves as a cautionary tale that the regulator's jurisdiction may extend into private social settings, even where no abuse of power is proven, says Nick Brett at Brett Wilson.

• Challenges Law Firms Face In Recruiting Competitor Teams

  

  Since the movement of lawyer teams from a competitor can bring legal considerations and commercial risks into play, both the target and recruiting firms should be familiar with the relevant limited liability partnership deed to protect their business, say lawyers at Fox & Partners.

• 7 Ways Employers Can Avoid Labor Friction Over AI

  

  As artificial intelligence use in the workplace emerges as a key labor relations topic in the U.S. and Europe, employers looking to reduce reputational risk and prevent costly disputes should consider proactive strategies to engage with unions, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

• 3 Changes To Note In Upcoming Employment Law Reforms

  

  The forthcoming Employment Rights and Equality Bills, with complex family rights, flexible work and sexual harassment protection reforms, present unique challenges that make it essential for companies to embed these new legal duties in both practice and documentation, say lawyers at Linklaters.

• What Cos. Must Note From EU's Delivery Hero-Glovo Ruling

  

  The European Commission’s recent landmark decision in Delivery Hero-Glovo, sanctioning companies for the first time over a stand-alone no-poach cartel agreement, underscores the potential antitrust risks of horizontal cross-ownership between competitors, say lawyers at McDermott.

• Immigration Reforms Require Immediate Employer Attention

  

  The recent U.K. government white paper on immigration practices could reshape how international recruitment is planned, funded and managed, and employers reliant on overseas talent should get ahead of changes now, including via pipeline reviews and accelerated sponsorship, say lawyers at Morgan Lewis.

• Court Backing Of FCA Pensions Ruling Sends Key Message

  

  The Upper Tribunal’s recent upholding of the Financial Conduct Authority's decisions against CFP Management directors serves as a judicial endorsement of the regulator’s approach to defined benefit transfers, underscoring that where the advisory model is fundamentally flawed, the consequences for those in control can be severe, say lawyers at RPC.

• Pension Schemes Bill's Most Notable, Controversial Measures

  

  The long-awaited Pension Schemes Bill recently introduced to Parliament creates a framework for harnessing money saved in U.K. workplace pension funds to grow the country’s economy, but provisions relating to local government pension scheme investment, and scale and asset allocation, are controversial, says Claire Dimmock at Squire Patton.

• Whistleblower Rewards May Soon Materialize In UK

  

  Recent government and Serious Fraud Office announcements indicate that the U.K.’s long-standing aversion to rewarding whistleblowers is reversing, underlining the importance for organizations to consider managing misconduct risk and prepare for a potentially significant uptick in tipoffs, says Tom Grodecki at Cadwalader.

• US Diversity Policies Present Challenges To UK And EU Cos.

  

  Following President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders calling for increased scrutiny of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, it is clear that global businesses operating in the U.K. and European Union will need to understand regional nuances to successfully navigate differing agendas on either side of the Atlantic, say lawyers at Jenner & Block.

• What Age Bias Ruling Means For Law Firm Retirement Policies

  

  The recent employment tribunal age discrimination decision in Scott v. Walker Morris demonstrates that while law firms may implement mandatory retirement schemes, the policy must pursue a legitimate aim via proportionate means to pass the objective justification test, says Chris Hadrill at Redmans Solicitors.

• Acas Guide Shows How To Support Neurodiverse Employees

  

  A new guide on neurodiversity in the workplace from the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service reminds employers of the duty to make reasonable adjustments that will effectively alleviate any disadvantage an employee may experience at work, say lawyers at Withers.

• Opinion

  UK Gov't Needs To Take Action To Support Whistleblowing Bill

  

  With a proposed Office of the Whistleblower Bill making its way through the U.K. Parliament, whistleblowing is starting to receive the attention it deserves, but the key to unlocking real change is for the government to take ownership of reform proposals and appoint an overarching whistleblowing champion, says Baroness Susan Kramer at the House of Lords.