Episode 23: Dina Asher-Smith’s call for more period sports science; RAF positive discrimination allegations; and the UK’s 4 day working week pilot

The Lawdown: Employment Law Podcast Series from CM Murray LLP

We are delighted to share Episode 23 of The Lawdown, our regular podcast discussing the latest key employment, discrimination and partnership law-related news stories, and the interesting legal issues behind them.

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

• Dina Asher-Smith’s call for more research into the effect of periods on performance after her cycle caused her to suffer from cramp at the European Championships in Munich. We consider this issue both from a ‘women in sport’ perspective and also in a wider workplace context;
• Leaked allegations that the RAF’s head of recruitment refused to follow an order to prioritise women and ethnic minority candidates over white men on the basis that it constituted positive discrimination. We discuss the differences between positive action and positive discrimination, the conditions that must be met for positive action to be lawful and some of the pitfalls posed by the legislation; and
• The roll out of the UK’s four-day working week trial, including a discussion in relation to the advantages and disadvantages of a shorter working week and offering some practical suggestions as to how businesses might be able to make this a viable, long-term option.

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.