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Wednesday 26 April (1900 - 2100)

Opening Cocktail

Thursday 27 April (0800 - 0845)

Continental Breakfast

Thursday 27 April (0800 - 1700)

Diversity and Equality Law Committee (Lead)
Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee (Lead)

Thursday 27 April (0845 - 0900)

Welcome and Opening remarks

Diversity and Equality Law Committee (Lead)
Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee (Lead)

Thursday 27 April (0900 - 0930)

Thursday 27 April (0930 - 1100)

ESG: social responsibility at work and freedom of expression

Session details

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) has become an increasing focus for employers, employee representatives and applicants alike. This session will consider market practices regarding ESG, the importance of employers being aware of the impact and the potential fallout from ESG issues. We will examine the impact of ESG in the workplace; in particular, how ESG can impact an employer’s policies and an employee’s freedom of expression and how those issues can subsequently be balanced. We will also discuss whether and in what way the implementation of ESG in corporate culture, in the cooperation between employers, employees and employee representatives, and in the area of HR policies, helps to attract applicants and retain employees.

Diversity and Equality Law Committee (Lead)
Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee (Lead)

Session/Workshop Chair(s)

Frances Anderson , Aoife Bradley

Thursday 27 April (1100 - 1130)

Diversity and Equality Law Committee (Lead)
Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee (Lead)

Thursday 27 April (1130 - 1245)

Breakout session 1: Workshop: drafting global remote and hybrid working policies

Session details

As remote and hybrid working has become the new normal, employers around the globe look to establish clear and comprehensive policies to reflect their practices. In this session, we will examine considerations in drafting a remote and hybrid working policy particularly for a global business. We will notably discuss the key employment and immigration issues to be covered in such a policy together with other challenges involved in implementing such a policy. Experts and leaders in the legal community as well as professional participants of the conference will also share their experiences and top tips for drafting such a policy.

Diversity and Equality Law Committee (Lead)
Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee (Lead)

Session/Workshop Chair(s)

Caroline Andre-Hesse , Bjoern Otto

Thursday 27 April (1130 - 1245)

Breakout session 2: Beyond flexibility: reaping the benefits of a disability confident workforce

Session details

While many countries have anti-discrimination and equal opportunity legislation, the employment gap between disabled and non-disabled people remains persistently high and seemingly resistant to any efforts to narrow it. However, with the rise of flexibility in the way we work following the Covid-19 pandemic, this creates a unique opportunity to consider the intersection of technology and disability and reap the benefits of a disability confident workforce. This session will consider the barriers that currently exist, and the opportunities for meaningful progress to reduce the employment gap.

Diversity and Equality Law Committee (Lead)
Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee (Lead)

Session/Workshop Chair(s)

Yvonne Frederiksen LL.M. , Carol Zhu

Thursday 27 April (1245 - 1400)

Diversity and Equality Law Committee (Lead)
Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee (Lead)

Thursday 27 April (1400 - 1515)

Breakout session 3: Compensation and benefits: how to effectively draft an MIP in the context of an M&A transaction

Session details

Management incentive plans (MIPs) have become a popular way of remunerating, motivating and rewarding employees and management. During this session, we will examine how to best design and implement an MIP in the context of an M&A transaction and examine the benefits of such schemes generally for the business and employees. We will consider the various types of incentive plans that can be offered to employees and management for both short term and long term incentivisation. We will also discuss some of the key considerations in designing and selecting a plan (eg, tax) and how to choose the right scheme depending on the profile of the management personnel and the nature of the business.

Diversity and Equality Law Committee (Lead)
Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee (Lead)

Session/Workshop Chair(s)

Carolyn Knox , Ed Mills

Thursday 27 April (1400 - 1515)

Breakout session 4: Mental health: the increase in claims relating to ‘burnout’ and prevention strategies

Session details

The changing workplace and today’s way of working brings with it some challenges and considerations for employee mental health and workplace wellbeing. While the benefits of remote and hybrid working have clearly been shown, more than four out of ten workers (44 per cent) say that their work stress has increased as a result of the pandemic, according to one Europe-wide survey. Remote and hybrid working raise issues around facilitating inclusivity and participation in the workforce, combatting isolation, a culture of always ‘being on’ and other mental health issues. During this session we will discuss the responsibilities on both sides of the employment relationship in respect of protecting and safeguarding the mental health of employees including the extent of an employer’s duty to an employee, the responsibilities an employee has, considerations around identifying mental health issues, best practice, and practical tips.

Diversity and Equality Law Committee (Lead)
Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee (Lead)

Session/Workshop Chair(s)

Lloyd Chinn , Pål Kvernaas

Thursday 27 April (1515 - 1545)

Diversity and Equality Law Committee (Lead)
Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee (Lead)

Thursday 27 April (1545 - 1715)

Typical discrimination and employment issues in Latin America

Session details

The diversity of Latin American cultures – as well as changing demographics, growing migration in search of work and a rapidly changing business environment – have contributed to discrimination in the workplace becoming a key issue in this region. Gender inequality in particular is highlighted as an area of concern. During this session, we will consider whether enough is being done to tackle discrimination and gender inequality. We will look at the latest developments and hot employment law issues in workplaces in this region and will hear the experiences of lawyers practicing in this region on the key considerations from an employer and employee representative perspective, especially with regard to collective labour law.

Diversity and Equality Law Committee (Lead)
Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee (Lead)

Session/Workshop Chair(s)

Luis Antonio Ferraz Mendes , Carolina Rodrigues

Thursday 27 April (1930 - 0200)

Welcome cocktail and dinner party

Friday 28 April (0800 - 0900)

Continental Breakfast

Friday 28 April (0800 - 1400)

Diversity and Equality Law Committee (Lead)
Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee (Lead)

Friday 28 April (0900 - 0930)

Friday 28 April (0930 - 1100)

Supply chain and collective labour law issues in the Americas

Session details

The expansion of global supply chains has been driven by a business model expressly designed to take advantage of low wages and inadequate regulation and enforcement. With a trend emerging of companies in the Americas looking to rely less on the manufacturing industry abroad, nearshoring opportunities are opening up. This session will address current issues of collective labour law in North and South America. We will focus on the importance of International Framework Agreements, the permissibility and limits of industrial action, due diligence on the activities of third-party suppliers and changes that have resulted from the global supply chain debate.

Diversity and Equality Law Committee (Lead)
Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee (Lead)

Session/Workshop Chair(s)

Mercedes Balado Bevilacqua , Veronica Raffo

Friday 28 April (1100 - 1130)

Diversity and Equality Law Committee (Lead)
Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee (Lead)

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