CILEx
One year on:
the only way is up!
May 2019 signalled change for the CILEx Specialist Reference Groups (SRGs). The CILEx Policy team had already taken what was, originally, a single, experimental group to develop 10 more practice area and protected-characteristic-specific groups, relaunching them last year and quickly adding five additional ones.
The SRGs are, essentially, a series of virtual networks for members to freely join. The catalyst for their development was the need to validate and evidence the development of CILEx’s policy positions. Over time, and with the deployment of CILEx’s new membership database, using its enhanced functionality, the groups will act more and more like any other professional network that you, as our members, may join. Currently, they provide what is intended to be a mutually beneficial communications channel for us to share views and intelligence. They certainly help us to help you better by enabling a ‘conversation’ about matters that affect the lives of members.
The main way of enabling that conversation has been through monthly, tailored newsletters consisting of a variety of focused content for SRG members: from the latest practice area developments to broader legal sector news, plus CILEx guidance and updates, online surveys and other engagement opportunities, to name but a few. This content is driven by our core aim: to better inform you - our members - and understand your concerns about those issues that are most important with respect to, and most affect, your professional lives, whilst ensuring that what CILEx does is shaped by your experience and expertise.
CILEx SRG newsletters are also vital sounding boards to help us base our lobbying and law reform activity in the reality of members’ personal experiences of providing legal services and of the environments in which they work.
That member input continually influences and shapes CILEx policy work, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has provided us with vital evidence when shaping our messaging to important legal sector proposals and problems.
Policy wins with the help of SRGs
SRGs have enhanced CILEx’s ability to champion specific causes on behalf of our members from an informed position, helping to shape the bigger picture of changes to the legal landscape and beyond. Notable successes that CILEx has contributed to include:
Employment laws suitable for a modern workforce
During 2019, CILEx engaged with SRG members regarding government changes to the following:
- Extending redundancy protections for pregnant women and new parents;
- Confidentiality Clauses Response to the Government consultation on proposals to prevent misuse in situations of workplace harassment or discrimination’; and
- Consultation on sexual harassment in the workplace
SRG-led surveys helped provide suitable evidence to better inform CILEx of our members’ thoughts on government proposals.
Hearing from members specialising within this field as employment lawyers, but also from a wider subset of members contributing their personal opinions as individuals who have faced these barriers head-on, we were able to provide a comprehensive picture of the issues at hand. In addition, by sharing members’ anecdotal testimonials with government directly, we provided a platform for those affected to be given a voice in driving these changes.
The government’s response to these programmes of work have seen certain recommendations put forward by our members acknowledged as future steps in addressing these matters. For instance, the need to raise more public awareness on employee rights and provide additional guidance to employers, who often struggle with knowing how best to tackle these issues, have been advocated by both CILEx and others, leading to developments such as new harassment guidance by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Similarly, CILEx has also seen the Law Commission’s latest analysis into enforcement of employment protections via the courts and tribunals, the Employment law hearing structures: report, embrace several recommendations that CILEx put forward in shaping this body of work.
