Latest news with #EvershedsSutherland
Business Mayor
09-05-2025
- General
- Business Mayor
Carrie Morrison lecture: No space for complacency over equal opportunities
Hard-won equal opportunities and access to them 'cannot be taken for granted', the audience at the Carrie Morrison lecture heard this week. Kathryn Roberts, chair of Eversheds (International) LLP and co-chair of Eversheds Sutherland's global brand, gave the keynote address at the firm's London offices. Roberts highlighted 'the importance of championing and being championed but perhaps more importantly being a champion for others'. She told the audience that growing up she had 'absolutely no concept of what it meant to be a lawyer' but was 'blessed…by an amazing and inspirational teacher Mr Harris, my history teacher, who saw something in me and encouraged me to think about applying to study law at university'. She added that her teacher went 'well beyond the call of duty' and arranged for Roberts to undertake work experience with a friend 'who happened to be a solicitor'. The experience, she said, helped her decide on a legal career and, as a result, she has 'never underestimated the power of somebody telling you that they believe in you, that you can do something'. She added: 'Many years later it was a dear colleague here at Eversheds who is the first person to say to me 'I think you'd be a really good chair of the firm' and because I respected her opinion, her saying that to me had a huge impact.' Her other lesson, she said, was that 'being different is actually your superpower'. She added: 'In our profession we still have a significant underrepresentation of women and ethnic minorities in leadership roles and in partnership roles. Gender and pay parity is still an aspiration but we have made great progress. Nothing can be taken for granted. These incredibly hard-fought equal opportunities for all are to be cherished and protected. They are not, it seems, sacrosanct and there is absolutely no room for complacency. 'No one is looking for a leg up, no one is looking for favouritism or special treatment. We're looking for equal opportunity and the ability to get on and thrive regardless of our backgrounds, our experiences or our diverse characteristics.' A panel (pictured above) chaired by Simmons & Simmons partner Emma Sutcliffe and including CEO of The Eagle Club Lesley Wan, and BCLP global senior partner Segun Osuntokun, followed Roberts' speech. Wan said 'support from the top of the organisation that will go all the way down', mentorship, and the culture of an organisation were important in improving the experience of women in the law. Osuntokun added: 'It is about making sure the right people are given the right access to the right opportunities.' The Carrie Morrison Lecture: Shaping the Future for Women Solicitors commemorates the first woman to be admitted to the roll in 1922.
Times
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Times
Tightening harassment laws will place a significant burden on employers
Significant changes around protections in the workplace appeared on the horizon last October that would require employers to take 'reasonable steps' to prevent sexual harassment of their employees. The Employment Rights Bill is now progressing through parliamentary stages and is expected to gain royal assent in the summer; it will take employee protection to the next level and place a substantial burden on employers. This impending legislation will force employers to take 'all' reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, introduce third-party harassment liability and ensure that disclosures of sexual harassment are explicitly covered under whistleblowing legislation. And the government is considering whether sexual harassment protections should be extended to volunteers, although there are no confirmed timescales for implementation on these changes and they are not expected to take effect before 2026. The government's intention behind strengthening the duty by adding the word 'all' is clear — it aims to mirror the existing concept of the 'all reasonable steps' defence in the Equality Act 2010. However, that earlier legislation does not specify which steps are deemed reasonable for an employer, making it challenging to rely on this defence in discrimination claims. To bridge this gap, the bill proposes future regulations that will define the reasonable steps employers must take and the considerations they must account for to prevent sexual harassment. Once enacted, employers will be deemed to have taken 'all' reasonable steps if they adhere to the specified regulations and undertake any other preventive measures that are reasonable given the circumstances. Potential steps, as suggested by the government, include conducting risk assessments, publishing policies or plans, and establishing procedures for reporting and handling complaints. As a result, employers will need to update their risk assessments regularly and audit their policies and procedures to cover potential areas of risk adequately. These requirements will undoubtedly place a substantial burden on employers, necessitating a more thorough approach to managing sexual harassment in the workplace. Employers must continue to be vigilant in preventing and addressing sexual harassment under the current law, ensuring they are well prepared for the impending strengthened duty. Failure to do so could be costly and result in a potential 25 per cent increase in compensation where an employee successfully files a sexual harassment Choudry is a partner at the law firm Eversheds Sutherland
