Disputes Apprentice’s dismissal for excessive phone use was fair, FWC rules Client accused trainee construction worker of being workshy after repeatedly catching him on his device Retaliation Mexico moves to crack down on blacklists with new hiring reform Draft bill targets “labour bureau” data-sharing practices, signalling tougher scrutiny of pre-hire screening methods Contracts German court strikes down blanket garden leave clauses in contracts Federal Labour Court finds unilateral release provisions invalid in dispute over company car Community Eversheds Sutherland adds five new partners across UK and Netherlands hubs Dutch and British lawyers made up among 25-strong promotion round Community Bird & Bird brings in Dechert trio to rebuild France practice Partner hires Philippe Thomas and Thibault Meiers offer “strategic leadership with deep technical capability” Community DLA Piper taps Cooley partner for California corporate group Joshua Elefant to advise high-growth tech and life science firms on labour and employment issues Discrimination IBM settles DOJ probe into “woke” DEI practices for $17m Landmark settlement signals escalating federal crackdown on government contractors Disputes Crocs accused of giving disabled employee the boot Manager made to use standing desk after knee replacement surgery, complaint states Disputes Superspar fails to overturn unfair dismissal award in WhatsApp case Post by Zimbabwean employee giving xenophobes “the metaphorical middle finger” was seen as fanning tensions Events Global Employment Summit International Employment Lawyer is delighted to announce that the third Global Employment Summit will take place on Thursday 15th October at Convene 117 W 46th Street, New York.The full-day event will bring together leading in-house counsel, HR and ER professionals, and private practitioners from across the world to take a deep dive into the key issues impacting the management of global workforces from the vantage point of US-headquartered multinationals. Research IEL Monitor IEL Monitor is a forward-looking, fully searchable database of upcoming and prospective employment and labour legislation from around the world, designed to alert in-house teams of new laws and regulations, and support timely compliance. Private Practice Leaders “Evolution, not revolution”: Susannah Kintish takes the helm at Mishcon de Reya Private Practice Leaders Quarterbacking complexity: Inside Ogletree’s global reorganisations practice In-house interview Giving back while holding the line in-house