Karen Collins

Realise your purpose: Wellbeing in the workplace

Realise Your Purpose is a Bates Wells campaign to help commercial organisations consider, decide on and implement their ESG goals. From governance to people, and from contracts to real estate, this series will provide insight and guidance for business leaders and senior decision makers on the first steps in their sustainability journey.   Employee sickness absence …
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Equality case law roundup: Bailey, Sutcliffe and Orwin

It has been a busy two weeks for equality and discrimination lawyers, with three recent judgments (one from the Employment Tribunal, one from the Employment Appeals Tribunal, and one from the High Court) adding to the body of decisions in this hotly contested area of law and policy. Here, we summarise the decisions and consider …
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Government announces plans to pause implementation of freedom of speech duties for students’ unions and HEPs

The government has announced today (26 July) that the new duties on Higher Education providers and students’ unions in the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 will not come into effect next Thursday (1 August) as envisaged. The new duties were subject to exhaustive Office for Students consultation over the spring and summer. In …
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Realise your purpose: Increasing social mobility and diversity in the workplace

Realise Your Purpose is a Bates Wells campaign to help commercial organisations consider, decide on and implement their ESG goals. From governance to people, and from contracts to real estate, this series will provide insight and guidance for business leaders and senior decision makers on the first steps in their sustainability journey.   There is widespread …
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Real estate: Stay vs Go

Whether you’re thinking about disposing of your office, moving to a new location or reconfiguring your existing space we are here to advise on your options. We will: We’ve developed a fixed fee package, so whether you decide to stay or go, we can help you choose your path with confidence. Prices for the above …
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The King’s Speech: Labour Government’s Legislative Agenda for Employment Law

On 17 July 2024, in the King’s Speech, the newly elected Labour government set out its proposals for two new employment law Bills; the Employment Rights Bill and the Draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill. Both are intended to deliver on the policies set out in its pre-election “Plan to Make Work Pay: Delivering a New …
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Landmark climate judgment: R (Finch on behalf of the Weald Action Group & Others) v. Surrey County Council (& Others)

A recent judgment by the Supreme Court has been hailed as groundbreaking by climate campaigners, fighting for recognition of the true environmental impacts of fossil fuel projects in the UK. The much-awaited decision held that the decision of Surrey County Council (the “Council”) to grant planning permission for an oil production project was unlawful. This …
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Realise your purpose: Increasing gender diversity in the workforce

Realise Your Purpose is a Bates Wells campaign to help commercial organisations consider, decide on and implement their ESG goals. From governance to people, and from contracts to real estate, this series will provide insight and guidance for business leaders and senior decision makers on the first steps in their sustainability journey.   Currently in the …
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Navigating the tension: the dynamics of pre-election periods

In the pursuit of free and fair elections, the practise of observing a period of ‘pre-election sensitivity’ (previously known as ‘purdah’) has long been respected by government ministers, central government officials and civil servants. Beyond government and civil servants, other organisations are also often alive to the risk of appearing to be politically biased during …
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Speaking up, speaking out! – Developing corporate advocacy strategy for purpose-driven businesses

In this pivotal global election year, many businesses may be considering the policies and regulations that a future government could bring, and how the business might influence those developments. For purpose-driven businesses, driving positive change is often embedded into the constitution. We seek to address social and environmental injustice and to support economic systems that …
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“Be the change you want to see” – Sport England’s bold commitment to environmental sustainability in sport

Sport England has launched its inaugural sustainability strategy, called “Every Move – Sustainability Strategy and Action Plan”. It is aimed at addressing the impact the sport and physical activity sector has on climate change and the impact climate change has on levels of participation in sport.   The Strategy made headlines with the announcement that …
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Equalities update: consultation on updated NHS constitution reinforcing commitment to “single-sex” wards

The Department of Health and Social Care is currently consulting on proposed changes to the NHS Constitution (“the Constitution”) as part of a 10 year review process set out in the Health Act 2009. The constitution was last updated in 2015. The consultation will run for 8 weeks and closes on 25 June 2024. The …
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