Episode 33: Wilko mass redundancies; US Open heatwave - is it ever too hot to work?; probation service racism claims; and new attitudes to work study

The Lawdown: Employment Law Podcast Series from CM Murray LLP

We are delighted to share Episode 33 of The Lawdown, our regular podcast discussing the latest key employment, discrimination and partnership law-related news stories, and the interesting legal issues behind them!

In our latest episode of The Lawdown, Partners Emma Bartlett and Beth Hale and Senior Associate, Wonu Sanda, discuss the following:

1. The well-known high street chain, Wilko, going into administration and the resultant, unfortunate mass redundancies. We discuss who bears the responsibility for paying wages, notice and redundancy pay when a company goes into administration and the challenges employees may face when seeking to enforce their rights. We also look at the issues surrounding the establishment of collective consultation rights for employees

2. Tennis players struggling in sweltering heat at the US Open and the question of whether it is it ever too hot to work? We answer this and explore the scope of an employer's health and safety obligations in the workplace

3. A significant settlement reached in a disturbing case involving racial harassment claims brought by a probation officer. We discuss what constitutes harassment in the workplace and when an employer can be held vicariously liable for harassment perpetrated by a colleague

4. A recent study which revealed a surprising trend among Britons, who increasingly view work as less important compared to their global counterparts. We query the reasons behind this shift in attitudes toward work, exploring factors such as work-life balance, aging populations and evolving career aspirations