Howes Percival will be holding their popular National Employment Conference on Thursday 21 May 2026
This year, the National Employment Conference will be held at Whittlebury Hall, near Towcester, Northamptonshire, starting at 9:00am and ending at 4:30pm.
This annual event is aimed at HR professionals and directors, and gives delegates an opportunity not only to receive an update on recent developments in employment law, but also to attend workshops to explore key employment topics in more detail.
We are delighted to announce that we will be joined again this year by barrister Kate Balmer from Devereux Chambers. Kate will give delegates a short update on key case law and changes to legislation before providing guidance on the challenging issue of managing disability in the modern workplace, in particular neurodiversity, mental health and the growing impact of technology.
As always, our team of employment specialists will lead a choice of workshops which give delegates the opportunity to share experiences and interact within small groups.
We are really looking forward to meeting everyone again this year. The event will give delegates the opportunity to share experiences, network and get some time away from the office… or home!
Book a place
Please reserve your place by clicking on the registration button below, which will take you to the Eventbrite booking page.
Please can each delegate confirm in their reservation: • a choice of one morning workshop; and • any dietary requirements
Cost: £395 plus VAT per delegate. The price includes breakfast on arrival, lunch, tea/coffee and refreshments.
Offer: Book before Friday 27 March and receive one place free for every paid place booked (i.e. book 2 delegates for £395 plus VAT, book 4 delegates for £790 plus VAT).
Welcome Introduction & Employment Law Update on 'Managing Disability in a Modern Workplace: Neurodiversity, Mental Health and Technology' presented by Kate Balmer from Devereux Chambers.
11.15am
Workshops (see full details below)
1. "Accidents will happen" – A review of the regulatory and employment law processes to adopt when accidents in the workplace occur
2. “Bad reputation” – Reputation management: how to protect your business from its employees and former employees
3. “Don’t stand so close to me” – Third-party harassment and sexual harassment
1.00pm
Lunch
2.00pm
Workshops (see full details below)
1. “When you’re gone” – Absence management
2. "Whistle whilst you work!" – Whistleblowing
3. "We can work it out" – Skilled worker sponsorship in practice: making sense of the new rules, costs and compliance
4.30pm
Finish
Workshop information
MORNING SESSIONS (please choose 1)
Session 1: "Accidents will happen" – A review of the regulatory and employment law processes to adopt when accidents in the workplace occur
Despite the strict health and safety rules and measures that we put in place as employers, accidents will happen. The session will cover a case study of a workplace accident and the steps to adopt as employers and HR teams in dealing with the same, including reporting obligations, obligations to any injured party and if appropriate disciplining the employee who was the cause and putting in place further measures and training to avoid further problems.
Session 2: “Bad reputation” – Reputation management: how to protect your business from its employees and former employees
We are seeing an increase in cases of disgruntled employees or ex-employees turning to social media to badmouth their employers. Reports of harassment and the number of derogatory statements being made about employers or colleagues online are also on the rise. Alongside this, we are seeing increased issues in the workplace arising from employees wearing political (or other) symbols or attending political events, protests or rallies.
We are running an interactive session to help your organisation navigate these challenges and ensure the business is well equipped to protect its reputation in this modern world.
The session will focus on:
How best to deal with issues arising from employees’ and ex-employees’ social media use or online activity;
Disciplining employees for inappropriate use of social media; and
How to manage issues that arise from employees wearing political symbols, making political statements, or attending political events.
Session 3: “Don’t stand so close to me” – Third-party harassment and sexual harassment
When the Equality Act 2010 came into force, employers became liable for third-party harassment for the first time. However, this provision was repealed in 2013. In October 2024, a new duty was introduced requiring employers to take proactive steps to prevent sexual harassment. The EHRC confirmed this duty includes harassment by third parties, even though employees currently cannot bring standalone tribunal claims for it. The government now proposes to:
Reinstate third-party harassment protections across all protected characteristics and types of harassment.
Strengthen the duty to prevent sexual harassment.
This session will explore:
Current legal risks for employers regarding third-party harassment.
The expanded duty to prevent sexual harassment and its impact.
Future implications of a stronger preventative duty.
Proposed reforms and their effect on employer practices.
How to respond to third-party harassment complaints.
Practical steps employers should take now and in future.
Commercial challenges and how to navigate them effectively.
This workshop is aimed at helping delegates to understand how to effectively manage employees’ absences, as well as offering some practical guidance on how to deal with the "tricky issues" which often arise. This will include:
Understanding when sickness absence becomes long-term
Differentiating between long-term sickness and sporadic sickness absence and when there is overlap
Understanding potential claims and risks of getting it wrong
Tips for handling long-term sickness cases
Managing reasonable adjustments
Session 2: "Whistle whilst you work!" – Whistleblowing
Transparency and accountability are now central pillars of workplace culture—and whistleblowing is at the heart of this shift. Over the past decade, we've seen a sharp rise in both the volume and complexity of whistleblowing complaints.
With the upcoming Employment Rights Bill looking likely to introduce enhanced protections (particularly around sexual harassment), and the growing use of AI tools by employees to craft detailed, legally precise disclosures, the landscape is evolving fast.
This interactive and practical session will equip HR professionals with the tools and confidence to respond effectively. We will explore:
What counts as a “protected disclosure”
Who is covered by whistleblower protections
Key changes under the Employment Rights Bill
How to run a fair and robust whistleblowing investigation
Practical strategies for managing increasingly sophisticated complaints
Best practice for drafting and embedding whistleblowing policies and procedures
Expect real-world examples, group discussion, and actionable takeaways to help you strengthen your organisation’s approach to whistleblowing.
Session 3: "We can work it out" – Skilled worker sponsorship in practice: making sense of the new rules, costs and compliance
The Skilled Worker route has seen its most significant overhaul yet, with major reforms introduced in July 2025 following the Government’s immigration White Paper. For employers, this has brought higher salary thresholds, new skill levels, greater costs and closer Home Office scrutiny – all while retaining sponsored talent has become more challenging.
This interactive workshop will help you make sense of the new landscape. We’ll bring clarity to how the framework works in practice, explore what the real cost of sponsorship looks like (and how to manage it), consider how to retain sponsored workers through immigration timelines, highlight when other routes may be a better fit for your recruitment needs, and outline what “good” licence hygiene looks like in a tougher compliance environment.
Key themes:
Understanding the Skilled Worker framework: thresholds, going rates, transitional measures, and practical scenarios.
The true cost of sponsorship: cost responsibilities, mitigation and retention linked to immigration timelines.
Alternative routes to Skilled Worker sponsorship
Licence hygiene: recurring pitfalls, proactive habits and maintaining an audit-ready licence.
Event details
Date: Thursday 21 May 2026
Time: 09:00 - 16:30
Venue: Whittlebury Hall
Address: Whittlebury Park, Northamptonshire, NN12 8QH
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