Wednesday 20 May 2026 |
Modern workplaces are increasingly affected by disputes over protected belief, political disagreement and identity-related issues. HR teams are managing conflicts around gender-critical beliefs, transgender rights, freedom of expression, social media activity and broader DEI expectations.
These issues are now central to employment law, with cases such as Higgs v Farmor’s School and Forstater v CGD Europe reshaping how employers need to approach belief expression, workplace conduct and proportionality.
In this webinar for International HR Day, we explored how HR teams can navigate sensitive belief-related issues while maintaining fairness, dignity and legal compliance. Drawing on employment tribunal decisions, recent guidance and developments under equality law, we explained how to handle gender-critical and transgender rights sensitively, assess reputational risk, manage political disagreement and prevent harassment rooted in belief expression.
We also shared practical steps for designing policies, training and processes that support a respectful, safe and balanced workplace. Watch this on-demand session to hear VinciWorks experts cover today’s most challenging DEI and employee relations questions.
What this webinar covered
- How protected belief works under the Equality Act, including the Grainger criteria
- Lessons from Higgs, Forstater, Bailey and other recent tribunal decisions on belief and expression
- Managing conflict between gender-critical beliefs and transgender inclusion in a legally compliant way
- Handling political disagreement and expressions of belief inside and outside work
- How to assess reputational risk, avoid knee-jerk decisions and apply proportionality
- Creating clear policies on belief, conduct and social media
- Practical steps HR can take to build a respectful and safe workplace during complex DEI challenges