Episode 19: Cutting sick pay for the unvaccinated, unpacking the 'politician's "sorry not sorry" apology', and Prince Andrew

The Lawdown: Employment Law Podcast Series from CM Murray LLP

It’s a new year – which, for the Lawdown podcast, means we get to share more of our legal take on new and interesting stories in the news with you! So please join us for our first episode of the year where Partners Beth Hale and Emma Bartlett, Senior Associate Wonu Sanda and Associate Pooja Dasgupta kick off by discussing some of the top news stories so far, including:

1. Cutting sick pay for unvaccinated staff who are required to isolate as a close contact of someone who has tested positive for Covid. With the likes of Next, Ikea and Morrison's receiving hugely divided reactions to the adoption of such sick pay policies, we consider their legality, whether they are discriminatory, the benefits and risks for employers, employee relations, and whether employers have a role to play in incentivising vaccination.

2. “Sorry not sorry”: the recently reported public apologies (or non-apologies as the case may be) of a Conservative MP, and separately Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in the House of Commons and the wider role apologies play in employment and other disputes. We explore different types of apologies and what an effective apology looks like, as well as consider the legal and reputational benefits of apologies and whether they are tantamount to an admission of legal liability.

3. Prince Andrew’s failed attempt to prevent Virginia Giuffre’s lawsuit against him in the US by relying on tird-partyh waiver of claims wording contained in a $500k settlement agreement she had entered into with Jeffrey Epstein. We discuss how such waivers (which are typically found in settlement agreements) might play out in the UK context and the considerations for UK practitioners drafting similar provisions.

We hope you enjoy our latest episode! Please get in touch by emailing us at [e-mail] if you would like any information on the topics discussed or if you would like to suggest a story for us to cover in a future episode.
Follow The Lawdown on Twitter: @lawdownpodcast.
CM Murray is Ranked Tier 1 for Employment (Senior Executives) by Legal 500 UK 2022. ‘Brilliant employment law team...Incredibly talented knowledgeable and commercial in their very professional approach. Very able in international employment matters.' (Legal 500 UK)