Careers Q&A

Careers Q&A

Thanks to everyone who sent in fantastic careers questions. The majority fell into two areas, one on making job applications and the second on issues related to working from home. We turned to two experienced Legal Women to cover these queries – Nicolina Andall and Paula Chan.

Nicolina Andall, a Senior Corporate Commercial Solicitor and named in the Cranfield 100 Women to Watch 2020 List reminds us all of five tips for writing persuasive personal statements – for whatever role you seek.

1. Solid due diligence on the role and organisation pays dividends

The more you know about the role and the organisation, the better you will be able to tailor your application to exactly what they are looking for. Really work at getting into their psyche. Tick their boxes - make it a no brainer that they will want to see you for interview. Write your application from an informed perspective. A side benefit is that it helps you do the sanity check that you’re SURE you want the role.

2. Open with a powerful statement that states why you are the perfect candidate

Tailor it precisely to what they are looking for. Be specific about the qualities YOU have don’t just list a load of generic points. For example “I am a 19 year Qualified Solicitor with experience of making senior level appointments through being an Independent Panel Member with the Ministry of Justice”. Now is not the time to hide your achievements! I haven’t been recognised by the Queen, nor do I have an MBE (one day?)… But you might! Use what YOU have got in your toolkit to make you stand out from the crowd so you can survive the sift and make it to interview.

3. Clearly address how you fulfil the criteria for the role

Boards are looking to fill a specific skills gap. Take each criteria in turn and clearly articulate how you satisfy it. Don’t make people hunt for the information. Generic applications will definitely not cut it. As Delroy Beverley shared in a NedOnBoard interview “Keep it short, relevant and succinct. Think elevator model - I want to know everything about you in 3 minutes”. Wise words.

4. Consider using the STAR technique for crisp succinct answers

Situation, Task Action, Result. This helps keep you on track and on point. It also demonstrates that you are able to be concise, relevant and succinctly to the point: key skills for senior level roles.

5. Get someone you trust to review it for you and provide constructive feedback

I’m going to break it to you gently that you really can’t see your own mistakes. A second pair of eyes will help you deal with any grammar issues, typos and maybe even help you choose better STAR examples. Humbling experience... but worth it!

I know this takes a long time - but imagine the excitement you will feel when you find out you’ve survived the sift, got an interview and you’re halfway to your dream role!

Paula Chan, Partner and employment law specialist at Brahams Dutt Badrick French LLP looks at some new employment issues arising from so many of us working from home:

Zoom, Teams and now Big Brother

With many employees working from home for the foreseeable future, there has been an increase in interest from employers wishing to monitor employees more closely in their private homes. Less tech savvy employers might be less focused on software and more focused on getting employees back to the office. Can they really do that?

Can my employer monitor me at home?

Check your contractual terms covering the monitoring of company emails and web browsers, as well as your employer’s Data Protection and IT Policies. They usually set out the details of how employee activity will be monitored by the employer, including the methods used, the information that would be collected and how that information might be processed. Whilst most won’t have been drafted with widespread home working arrangements in mind they likely permit some form of monitoring. Monitoring must be proportionate and lawful in order to comply with General Data Protection Regulations and the Data Protection Act 2018.

As we settle into home working for the winter, some employers are adopting more intrusive means to monitor employees at home, including rolling out software which records keyboard and mouse activity or takes web cam photographs of employees at regular intervals. Employers would be well advised to be transparent with staff about what they are doing. Whilst the lines between the public sphere of the workplace and private depths of the home might be blurring, covertly monitor employees in their private homes, without their knowledge, could well be a breach of their Article 8 rights.

Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights provides for respect for private and family life, home and correspondence. There has to be a balance struck between the employee’s right to privacy and the employer’s interest in ensuring the smooth running of the company. An explanation by the employer of what they’re trying to achieve, whether the intrusion in question is necessary, and the safeguards and notifications in place will need to be examined. The greater the intrusion, the more likely it is that the right to privacy will have been infringed.

Aside from this balancing act, any monitoring should be applied equally and fairly to all employees, without targeting specific individuals. For example, singling employees out as “home shirkers” and the subject of monitoring may be discriminatory if they are being scrutinised because they have small children at home and are perceived as slacking.

Can an employer check in on me at home?

A request from an employer to check-in with a home worker during work hours is, on the face of it, reasonable. However, insisting on meetings outside of the employee’s usual working hours, or requesting excessive check-ins throughout the working day, is likely to be both unacceptable and invasive.

As a guide for both employees and employers, one could ask whether you would be having check-ins as regularly or at the times requested if you were in the office. If the answer is yes, it’s likely to be a request they should comply with, but this will of course depend on the circumstances. If the request is not reasonable, employees are in safer territory if they refuse. They should explain the reason for their refusal and request an alternative time or check-in arrangement.

Do employees have to go into the office if asked?

Current government guidance for office workers asks employees to work from home over the winter if they can do so effectively. Flexible language has been used, indicating that those who can work from home “should” rather than they “must”.

A request to return to work may be reasonable depending on what an employee’s normal duties are and how effectively these can be performed at home. You may want to ask your employer to explain why they require you to return if you feel you can do your job from home. If you cannot work from home, but have concerns about returning to the office, these should be raised with your employer to explore ways of ensuring your safety upon your return.

Your employer should consult with you about returning to the office to determine whether it is necessary for you to be in the office; and to provide you with the opportunity to discuss safety factors such as your journey into the office, caring responsibilities and such.

What can employees do if their employer asks them to go in if they feel it’s unfair?

They should consider raising their concerns about returning to the office with their employer. If employees are being pressured to return to the office, their reasons for refusal should be considered by the employer. These may include that they are high risk, or perhaps returning to work would have a negative effect on their mental well-being. If employees have such grounds to refuse such request, and the employer forces them to return by giving an ultimatum that non-compliance which would lead to disciplinary action and/or dismissal, the employee may to consider more formal action.

Concerned employees should seek legal advice as soon as possible to discuss their options, such as raising a grievance or bringing a claim. In addition, it is helpful to keep a written record of any discussions with your employer to support any subsequent complaint. ■

Please send any career questions to Coral@LegalWomen.org.uk and we’ll include them in the next issue.