Episode 26: Twitter Mass Redundancies; Ronaldo’s Man U Exit; Former Royal Lady in Waiting Race Row; and London Fire Brigade Cultural Review

The Lawdown: Employment Law Podcast Series from CM Murray LLP

It’s December – and that means Christmas plans and festivities are underway! But if you want a break from all of that then we are delighted to share another episode of our topical podcast, The Lawdown, where we discuss our take on recent employment, discrimination and partnership law-related news stories and the interesting legal issues behind them.

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

1. The recent mass redundancies sweeping through Twitter and the apparent lack of consultation and process followed. We also weigh in on CEO Elon Musk’s controversial 24 hour ultimatum that remaining staff either accept long and high intensity working hours to build "Twitter 2.0” or leave with a three month severance package and the possible health and safety, employee motivation and well-being implications.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo’s public criticism of and subsequent departure from Manchester United football club and whether employees can be disciplined for publicly criticising their employers, including issues around breach of contract and whistleblowing. We look at other potential outcomes like constructive dismissal claims and negotiated exits often considered in circumstances where there has been a breakdown of mutual trust and confidence.
3. Lady Hussey’s (a former royal lady in waiting) resignation following the revelation that she repeatedly questioned Ngozi Fuloni (a black executive of charity, Sistah Space) on where she was “really” from. We discuss racial prejudices, how these and other such incidents can constitute micro-aggressions, the impact on an individual’s sense of cultural belonging in society or in a workplace and the role of bystanders in the fight against discrimination.
4. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) independent cultural review and recommendations, commissioned following an investigation into the death of a trainee firefighter who had complained of bullying and harassment, including the importance of a zero-tolerance approach to confronting and rooting out misogyny, sexism, abuse, harassment, racism and other forms of discrimination in our workplaces and public institutions.