Lydia Octon-Burke

  1. People /

Lydia Octon-Burke

Lydia Octon-Burke

Associate

  1. People /

Lydia Octon-Burke

Lydia Octon-Burke

Associate

Lydia Octon-Burke

Associate

London

T: +44 (0) 20 3400 4246

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Biography

Lydia is an Associate in the Employment & Labor group. Lydia advises on contentious and non-contentious matters, acting for clients across various sectors on employment tribunal litigation and transactional matters, as well as supporting employers on day-to-day employment law issues.

Examples of recent work include defending employers in tribunal litigation, advising on TUPE implications of transactions, and conducting workplace investigations alongside the Regulatory team.

Lydia has also recently spent time on secondment at a large financial institution where she assisted with handling collective and individual redundancy situations, and advised on complex disciplinary and grievance processes and settlement negotiations, as well as ad-hoc employee relations issues.

Lydia has experience in drafting a variety of employment documentation including service agreements, consultancy agreements, settlement agreements and policies and procedures.

The Growth of Class Actions: What’s next?

Admissions

  • England and Wales

Related Practice Areas

  • Employment & Labor

  • Investigations

  • Regulation, Compliance & Advisory

  • Litigation & Dispute Resolution

  • Cross-border Employment Issues

  • Employment Class & Collective Actions

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Mar 27, 2024

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Nov 30, 2023

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Our October update includes a significant Supreme Court decision on how to treat historic underpayments of holiday pay, a preliminary tribunal hearing on whether a belief in race equality that opposed critical race theory was a protected philosophical belief, and another tribunal decision on when a refusal of alternative employment is unreasonable when the dismissal is unfair. We also feature a news update on the ICO’s latest guidance on employee monitoring, reports on historically high levels of sickness absence, and a draft ACAS code of practice on requests for predictable working patterns. 
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Sep 28, 2023

UK HR Two Minute Monthly: September 2023

Our September update includes cases on whether a transgender employee was discriminated against for being subject to a “gender specific” insult, the extent to which employers should enquire about employees’ disabilities in the recruitment process, and if a share incentive scheme not referred to in the employment contract could transfer under TUPE. We also feature a news update on new ICO guidelines for employers processing health data, the most helpful adjustments employers can make for employees experiencing menstruation or going through the menopause, and a report on the increasingly high level of sickness absence.
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Aug 29, 2023

UK HR Two Minute Monthly: August 2023

Our August update includes cases on the (discriminatory) harassment of a gender critical employee, a case in which a dismissing officer was not present at a dismissal meeting, and a case where a tribunal reached the unusual finding (overturned by the EAT) that an individual could be both an employee and a worker in respect of the same work. We also feature a news update on a new government briefing on AI and employment law, a new website designed to encourage the 45s-65s back into the workplace and new guidance on ethnicity pay gap reporting.

Related Insights

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Mar 27, 2024
UK HR Two-Minute Monthly: March 2024
Our March update includes a case on whether a theatre and agency could dismiss an actor playing a lesbian role because of her devout Christian beliefs, and a case looking at whether an employee who spends virtually all her working time on a yacht outside the UK has the right to bring employment claims under UK law. We also feature a news round-up looking at the Treasury Committee’s report on “Sexism in the City”, focusing on employment practices in financial services, the plans for a four day week in summer by the creation of “4ugust”, and the government’s views and written guidance on “Kinship Care”.
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Feb 28, 2024
UK HR Two Minute Monthly: February 2024
Our February update includes a case on the issue of whether job applicants can bring whistleblowing claims, and a case on who pays what compensation to a successful claimant. We also feature a news round-up looking at what employment law might look like under a Labour government, and new EHRC Guidance relating to menopause in the workplace.
Insights
Jan 31, 2024
UK HR Two Minute Monthly: January 2024
Our January update includes a new Court of Session case giving (a degree of) certainty on settlement agreements prohibiting future unknown claims and a new case on constructive dismissal focusing on the rules around delaying a resignation and affirming the employment contract. We also feature a news round-up relating to an updated EHRC Code of Practice and Guidance to accompany the new law on sexual harassment due to come into force in October, the new ACAS Code of Practice on Flexible Working (including day one requests) and changes to the Paternity/Adoption leave rules.
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Dec 20, 2023
UK HR Two Minute Monthly: December 2023
Our December update includes a Scottish Court of Session case which holds that “women” as defined in the Equality Act 2010 includes transgender individuals with a gender recognition certificate, a case asking whether new whistleblowing claims can be brought when they were allegedly dismissed by the tribunal as well as being settled under a COT3 Agreement, and an important case on the importance of timing in redundancy consultations. We also feature a news update on new legislation coming into force in April 2024, and new draft guidance from the ICO aimed at recruitment/recruiters.
Insights
Nov 30, 2023
UK HR Two Minute Monthly: November 2023
Our November update includes a Supreme Court decision on employment status and the right to join a trade union, whether a bonus clawback clause can be an unlawful restraint of trade, and how to deal with a “heat of the moment” resignation. We also feature a news update covering new UK legislation on working time and TUPE, the reform of Fit Notes, and new proposals relating to employers and the menopause.
Insights
Oct 31, 2023
UK HR Two Minute Monthly: October 2023
Our October update includes a significant Supreme Court decision on how to treat historic underpayments of holiday pay, a preliminary tribunal hearing on whether a belief in race equality that opposed critical race theory was a protected philosophical belief, and another tribunal decision on when a refusal of alternative employment is unreasonable when the dismissal is unfair. We also feature a news update on the ICO’s latest guidance on employee monitoring, reports on historically high levels of sickness absence, and a draft ACAS code of practice on requests for predictable working patterns. 
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Oct 04, 2023
New development in relation to underpayment of holiday pay
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Sep 28, 2023
UK HR Two Minute Monthly: September 2023
Our September update includes cases on whether a transgender employee was discriminated against for being subject to a “gender specific” insult, the extent to which employers should enquire about employees’ disabilities in the recruitment process, and if a share incentive scheme not referred to in the employment contract could transfer under TUPE. We also feature a news update on new ICO guidelines for employers processing health data, the most helpful adjustments employers can make for employees experiencing menstruation or going through the menopause, and a report on the increasingly high level of sickness absence.
Insights
Aug 29, 2023
UK HR Two Minute Monthly: August 2023
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