In this episode of Hiring to Firing, hosts Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter swap the halls of corporate America for the grand corridors of Downton Abbey, using the beloved British period drama to unpack the real‑world differences between U.S. and UK employment law. Joined by London‑based labor and employment partner Nick Elwell‑Sutton, they use iconic Downton storylines to discuss key points of UK employment law, from redundancies to mandatory leave and rest periods, and evolving discrimination protections. The conversation also covers the UK’s low threshold for disability accommodation and the duty to make “reasonable adjustments,” strict GDPR‑driven rules around privacy and employee data, and the differences between U.S. at‑will employment and UK contract‑based rights. Tune in for practical, jurisdiction‑specific insights on how multinational employers can navigate hiring, firing, and everything in between on both sides of the Atlantic — without ending up with a legal drama worthy of the Crawleys.
Transcript: Lords, Ladies, and Labor Laws: Downton Abbey and the Modern Employer (PDF)
Troutman Pepper Locke’s Labor + Employment Practice Group provides comprehensive thought leadership through various channels. We regularly issue advisories that offer timely insights into the evolving employment law landscape, and maintain the HiringToFiring.Law Blog, a resource spotlighting best practices for employers. Our Hiring to Firing Podcast, hosted by Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter, delves into pressing labor and employment law topics, drawing unique parallels from pop culture, hit shows, and movies.