Who should attend

Those responsible for diversity & inclusion and employment policy, directors and human resource and employee relation specialists, in-house lawyers and learning & development professionals.

Synopsis

Intergenerational fairness has increasingly become a focus area for employers with the pandemic highlighting perceived inequalities and the need to address generational issues in employment strategies.

With the increasing war for talent, an ageing working population and increasing demands for flexibility for wide-ranging reasons, what can employers do to embed and sustain a fair workplace for all generations?

Our diversity & inclusion conference this year will explore this theme, offering insight into the challenges facing employers and areas where attention should and can be focused. We will be considering flexibility in the post-pandemic workplace, including the challenges posed by hybrid/remote working from a retention/development perspective, ‘work creep’ and associated health issues, and caring responsibilities across generations.

We will also look at fairness across the employment life-cycle, from pay meritocracy to the availability of progression and development opportunities at all levels; we will also consider how employers can retain staff through supporting the wellbeing needs of employees across generations.

We are delighted to have Professor Bobby Duffy from King's College London as our keynote speaker. Professor Duffy's latest book, Generations - Does when you’re born shape who you are? , came out in September 2021 and challenges myths and stereotypes around generational trends, seeking a greater understanding around generational challenges. We are sure this will be an insightful talk.

A panel of our international lawyers will also debate the impact of age discrimination on achieving longer working lives across the world and what we can all learn from developments in other jurisdictions.

Finally, delegates will also have the opportunity to join a breakout session to discuss developments surrounding:

• challenging and acknowledging bias or;
• the pensions gap and the impact of historical influences on the same.

Programme

Speakers

Bobby Duffy - Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Policy Institute

Bobby Duffy is Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Policy Institute. He has worked across most public policy areas in his career of 30 years in policy research and evaluation, including being seconded to the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit.

Bobby sits on several advisory boards including Chairing both the Campaign for Social Science and the CLOSER Advisory Board, is a member of the Executive of the Academy of Social Sciences, a trustee of British Future and a Senior Fellow of the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto.

His first book, The Perils of Perception - Why we're wrong about nearly everything , was published by Atlantic books in several countries, drawing on a set of global studies on how people misperceive key social realities. His latest book, Generations - Does when you're born shape who you are? , came out in September 2021 and challenges myths and stereotypes around generational trends, seeking a greater understanding around generational challenges.

Diane Gilhooley - Partner and Global Practice Group Head of Employment, Labor and Pensions, Eversheds Sutherland

Diane is the Global Head of the Eversheds Sutherland Employment, Labor and Pensions Practice, leading the group of over 250 Employment, Labor and Pensions Lawyers. Diane is also a member of the firm's Senior Management Team and International Steering Group.

Diane qualified as a lawyer in September 1994 and joined the firm in 1999. She is a highly regarded employment law specialist with over 26 years' experience of handling high profile cases and providing strategic employment advice on a national and international basis. Diane conducts a full range of contentious and non-contentious work. She has conducted complex and high-profile employment tribunal claims and employment litigation, many around issues of equality and discrimination. Diane also advises on organisational issues (including large scale redundancy and restructuring programmes, industrial relations issues, mergers and collaborations, equality and diversity strategies); international collaborations and cross border issues and has recently supported clients on their strategic responses to COVID. She is also a recognised speaker and trainer on equality issues.

Naeema Choudry - Partner, Employment, Labor and Pensions, Eversheds Sutherland

Naeema is a partner and an expert on equality law and heads up the firm’s discrimination and employment litigation practices. Naeema advises on all aspects of employment law for clients in the public and private sector, including for a number of large employers who are household names. Naeema is a frequent speaker at seminars and conferences on equality issues and, in particular, racial equality in the workplace. She contributes to a variety of publications and broadcast media. Naeema is also Co-Partner sponsor of the Eversheds Sutherland ethnicity network, Verve. In addition, Naeema is a Trustee of the Eversheds Sutherland Charitable Trust, is an Ambassador for Women on Boards and a member of the Business in the Community Race Leadership Team.

Sally Isaacs - Partner, Employment, Labor and Pensions, Eversheds Sutherland

Sally is a Partner specialising in equality and discrimination issues, with particular emphasis on equal pay. Sally has been responsible for a number of high profile equal pay cases over the last 15 years including defending mass equal pay litigation and the pro-active management of pay grievances. Sally acts for clients in the public and private sector, and has significant experience of job evaluation systems, implementing new pay and grading structures through changing terms and conditions of employment and the strategic management of industrial relations issues. Sally regularly advises clients on gender pay gap reporting issues and has significant experience of undertaking equal pay audits/pay equity studies.

Suzanne Caveney, Legal Director, Employment, Labor and Pensions, Eversheds Sutherland

Suzanne is a Legal Director specialising in employment and pensions law and advising on all aspects of contentious and non-contentious employment law. Suzanne has acted in tribunal claims since 2011, defending complex discrimination claims as well as advising on pre-litigation complaints of discrimination. Suzanne also supports clients in relation to gender pay and equal pay, including assisting clients in the calculation of their gender pay gap, drafting the required gender pay statements and supporting with equal pay audits to assess whether clients have a significant risk of successful equal pay litigation.