Covid-19 Adapting your workplace for a safe reopening

Fudia Smartt is a Partner at Spencer West LLP. She joined the firm in September 2019, having previously been Partner at a boutique employment practice in Chancery Lane. Her previous work experience includes practising in highly regarded employment teams at both Russell Cooke LLP (a top 100 London firm) and City firm Fox Williams LLP.

Covering every stage of the employment life cycle, Fudia advises on non-contentious and contentious matters for both employers and employees on topics such as bullying, harassment (including sexual harassment), unfair and wrongful dismissal, restrictive covenants, discrimination, whistleblowing, maternity and other family-friendly matters.

She has experience across a wide range of sectors, with particular expertise in technology, media, financial services and professional services.

Fudia has significant experience in the following:

Advising on day to day HR operational issues, which includes on how to avoid grievances and disciplinary/dismissal issues;
Senior executive appointments and departures (which often include regulatory issues);
Bringing and defending complex discrimination and whistleblowing claims in the employment tribunals;
Advising employers and employees (as well as partners) on the enforceability of restrictive covenants and confidentiality agreements, including in relation to team moves;
Drafting contracts of employment, service agreements and HR policies;
Advising companies on restructuring exercises, redundancies (including collective redundancies) and employment issues arising from insolvency;
Advising on TUPE-related matters including in relation to outsourcing and property transactions;
Advising both employers and employees on data protection issues;
Advising business start-ups in a wide range of industries on how to protect and grow their businesses at a reasonable cost;
Providing HR advice and tailored training to clients and external bodies on all employment law matters, from recruitment to dismissal and beyond;
Advising members on joining LLPs; and
Drafting, negotiating and advising on settlement agreements.
She has acted on a number of high profile (and commercially sensitive) matters which has resulted in six-figure settlements for her clients. She has also acted on matters in the County Court, High Courts, Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) and Court of Appeal.

Fudia is praised by her clients for her creative problem-solving skills and her ability to provide commercial, tailored legal advice in a friendly and empathetic manner. She has a high emotional intelligence which she uses to assist with getting the results her clients want.

Fudia is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association.

Derek Luckhurst has been the Training & Development Director of the IPA (Involvement And Participation Association) since December 2000 responsible for consultancy services. Previously he was the Manufacturing, Science And Finance Union’s National Secretary for Legal & General since 1996. He was instrumental in the establishment of a breakthrough partnership agreement, which was signed at L&G in 1997.

At IPA he has developed partnership workshops for the Inland Revenue, the Audit Commission, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Aintree NHS Trust, Bolton NHS Trust and Santander. In conjunction with the workshop, he has written a partnership induction programme specifically tailored for people working on partnership initiatives.

He is the author of “A Practitioner’s Guide To Sustaining Industrial Partnership” published by the IPA with DTI support in 2004, updated and re-published in 2011. He also wrote a Staff Representatives’ Handbook, which has been commissioned by Sanctuary Housing, Halfords, BP, Coral Racing and Avon Cosmetics.

He has worked with many organisations helping them with employee relations including United Welsh Housing Association, Steria, Standard Life, Santander, Norwich Union, Royal College Of Surgeons, The General Medical Council, The Prince’s Trust, Egg, Blue Arrow, Royal National Institute For Deaf People, Bank Of Ireland UK Financial Services, The Independent Police Complaints Commission, The Healthcare Commission, Avon Cosmetics, The Royal Fleet Auxiliary, The National Asthma Campaign, National Grid, Peabody Trust, British Bakeries, The Employers Organisation, Pizza Express, The Communication Workers Union, The Post Office, De La Rue Cash Systems, Peabody Housing, Corps of Commissionaires, The Cancer Research Campaign, South East Water, Inland Revenue, Eurotunnel, Siemens, Pfizer, Terrence Higgins Trust, Electoral Reform Services, Opportunity Links, Kelloggs, the CBI, Skandia, AOL Broadband, Vodafone, Kimberley Clark and BP, Pearson, City & Guilds and HCL.

Derek has also introduced the option-based consultation model for the effective involvement of the representatives of employees, be they union or non-union in identifying opinions and influencing the decision making process at a strategic level within organisations. Described by Keith Sisson, Emeritus Professor of Industrial Relations at Warwick Business School as a ‘landmark in UK industrial relations’, Derek has been busy training managers and employee representatives in option-based consultation in organisations like the Healthcare Commission, Standard Life, Bank Of Ireland, United Welsh Housing and many others.
Derek leads the IPA’s influential Best Practice Network and, with them, developed the “15 Strategic Questions” that have proved popular with representatives and senior managers alike. He is also the author of “The 5 Key Steps To Employee Engagement”, published in 2007, which explores the unique role representatives can play in ensuring staff lose the cynicism that blocks engagement.

He was a key player in developing a framework for flexible working in Legal & General and was responsible for the training of both managers and union representatives in how the concept should work in practice. A new anti-harassment and bullying procedure was established during his term of office together with improved grievance and disciplinary processes.

A Workplace & Facilities Management professional with over 20 years experience across all sectors spanning both private and public arenas.

Delivering strategic solutions across the facilities & workplace disciplines including: procurement, tender management, change management, interim management, project management, supply chain management, in-sourcing, out-sourcing.
Delivering strategic solutions across the facilities management & workplace disciplines including:
FM consultancy
procurement
supply chain management
tender management
change management
interim management
project management

Emma Hill is the Group Head of Food, Health, Safety & Environment for CH&CO, the independent catering business that creates uplifting food and hospitality experiences across many locations, including workplaces, destinations, venues, events, education, livery and healthcare.

Emma successfully drives CH&CO’s long-term commitment to operating in a socially responsible, sustainable way. Under her direction, CH&CO became the largest and most diverse contract caterer to be awarded the highest sustainability rating of three stars by the Sustainable Restaurant Association. It’s also Emma’s responsibility to effectively enable and empower all functions of the health and safety team, from policy writing and reviews through to handling individual customer cases, across the diverse business.

Emma works tirelessly to improve the Environmental, Food and Health and Safety culture both within CH&CO and across the hospitality industry. She was part of the working group that revised the Catering Industry Guide on behalf of the BHA (now UKHospitality), is an active member of the Food Experts Group, a Committee Member of the ACMSF (advisory Committee for the Microbiological Safety of Food), a member of the CIEH and a Grad IOSH member.

Emma is a role model for people looking to develop a career in the industry. Her career began more than 20 years ago as a general assistant at Charlton House. Her clear understanding and aptitude for food and health and safety, together with a desire to continually gain knowledge and insight to drive innovation, has seen her progress steadily through the ranks. A pro-active and inspiring member of the team, Emma completed her BSc in Environmental Health, following six years of part-time studying, and was awarded a deserved First-Class Honours, along with being a practitioner member of IEMA. Emma is currently studying her MSc in Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental Management

Dr Anthony Renshaw provides medical advisory to numerous global organisations across the academic, resources, infrastructure, manufacturing, government and professional services sectors. He has expertise in emergency response and managing public health crises, including pandemic planning for multiple leading organisations.

Since joining International SOS in 2008, Anthony has overseen healthcare delivery and consulting platforms across China, Mongolia, Sakhalin, Korea and Japan; led community health programs in the Pacific; run remote health services across Australia; and worked in correctional services and defence. He has consulted widely across Africa, Europe and Asia-Pacific focusing on global health security, occupational health and emergency planning. He has a keen interest in the interplay between global health and the private sector. Prior to joining the company he was a surgeon in the UK and South Africa.

Anthony is a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and a Fellow of both the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management and the Royal Society for Public Health. He holds a doctorate in surgery from UCL and an MBA from INSEAD. He read medicine at the University of Manchester, where he also holds degrees in immunology and oncology.