IRS Conference: Flexible Resourcing

12th March 2009, London  

How to lawfully beat the credit crunch by reviewing employee hours and using agency and atypical workers 

Major companies including IT giant Dell, airline Ryan Air and motor firm Honda are looking at radical moves to save thousands of jobs, but is this a sound strategy for the downturn, and what are the legal risks? Speakers will look at a range of approaches including the introduction of unpaid holiday leave, suspending pay for a period of time and asking employees to take pay cuts. Delegates will have expert advice on employment law and potential management problems in using such approaches. 

Conference highlights:

• Different approaches to reviewing and reducing employee hours, from cutting or suspending pay to unpaid holiday leave 
• The legal issues regarding periods of unpaid leave
• How strategic flexible working can cut staff costs and boost productivity
• Why employers must define the employment status of staff
• Key legal issues when recruiting and employing agency staff
• How current and forthcoming law on agency workers will hit UK employers
• What the European Agency Workers Directive will mean for employers, agency workers and industry
• Dealing with employee requests for flexible working

• John Kell, Policy Officer, Professional Contractors Group
• Karen Wilshaw, Assistant Director for Atypical Work, Employment Relations Directorate, Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
• Tom Hadley, Director of External Relations, Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC)
• Neil Carberry, Head of Pensions and Employment, CBI
• Elena Crasta, Employment Rights and EU Policy Officer, TUC
• Chris Fisher, Partner, Mayer Brown International LLP
• Isabelle Simon-Evans, Director of People and Organisational Development, The Children’s Society
• Chris Holme, Associate Director, Barlow, Lyde and Gilbert LLP
• Richard Grace, Managing Director, Gordon Yates Ltd
• Sarah Mustafa, Associate Director, Gordon Yates Ltd  
• Michele White, Manager, Human Resources International, Gilead Sciences