Louise Brenlund

About the Speaker

Louise advises on all aspects of English employment law and related human resource issues, mainly acting for employers but also taking on complex, high-value employee claims work. Louise prides herself on being client-focused, providing clear, pragmatic and strategic commercial advice, and working together to find solutions. Louise qualified as a solicitor in 2005. Prior to joining Warners, Louise worked for a large regional firm for almost 13 years and, before that, with a niche practice in London. She has worked with specialist sectors, including agriculture, construction, manufacturing, education and healthcare, with clients in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.

Session Information

Legislation is expected to take effect in 2024, which may cause particular difficulties in the education sector in relation to new proposals relating to vicarious liability for third-party harassment. It is anticipated that this may result in an increase in employment tribunal claims in this area. It is, therefore, important that schools are aware of the changes and that senior leaders are ready and prepared to deal with issues that might be raised regarding third-party harassment. There has been substantial media attention recently around harassment in the workplace, including cases involving McDonalds and IKEA. In this session, we will review the current protection that employees have in relation to harassment, the proposed changes, and current cases in this area. We will consider how this might affect the education sector, potential protection available for employers and what steps you can take to prepare for this.