Online Workshop: Managing Controversial Views

PLEASE NOTE this is for HPMA members only

This session is for those in People Profession roles

Summary: Join Saira Ali (Partner) and Matt Smith (Principal Associate) from the Weightmans healthcare employment team, as they look at the difficulties that can arise when managing employees with controversial views and beliefs, such as dealing with refusals to undertake duties and offence caused by social media posts.

Summarising the key legal principles, latest authorities, and sharing practical tips for handling such cases Saira and Matt will also give you the opportunity to ask questions and discuss how you have dealt with such cases, with your peers.

Prework: None

Facilitator: Saira Ali (Partner) and Matt Smith (Principal Associate) Weightmans LLP

Saira Ali

A Partner in our employment law team, Saira is a specialist NHS lawyer and has acted for NHS organisations for over 15 years. She provides operational and strategic advice on all areas of contentious and non-contentious employment law, including day to day employee relations issues, disciplinary and grievance procedures, doctors’ disputes and Maintaining High Professional Standards in the NHS (MHPS), TUPE/business reorganisation, redundancy, discrimination, contracts, policies and procedures and settlement agreements.

Saira is a seasoned litigator and deals with cases in the Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal and High Court, with an excellent success rate. She is an experienced investigator, conducting independent investigations into disciplinary and grievance matters. Saira also delivers training on a wide range of employee relations issues. Saira has been recognised in Legal 500 as a “Next Generation Partner”.

Matt Smith

Matt is a Solicitor-Advocate specialising in healthcare employment law. He regularly represents predominantly NHS and other public sector clients in employment tribunals around the country, as well as advising them on internal matters. Matt can advise on the full range of employment issues including discrimination, whistleblowing, unfair dismissal, TUPE, redundancies and reorganisations.

Matt is in his second spell with Weightmans’ healthcare employment team, having returned to the firm after spending four years at the Equality and Human Rights Commission where he undertook a varied range of litigation, enforcement and legal policy work, predominantly focussing on issues such as sexual harassment, race discrimination and COVID-19, bringing a unique perspective to his work.

Matt has significant experience in providing bespoke training for clients and seminars and speaking at conferences.

Date: Tuesday 14th October 2025

Time: 12pm start - 1.30pm finish

By booking on this event, you are indicating that have read and agree to our event booking terms and conditions.

In the event that you’re not able to attend, please let us know within 5 working days of the event so that we might fill your place in the event. Place are limited and non-attendance prevents other colleagues from gaining from this opportunity.

We may take pictures or record our events to use in publicising our events programme including on our social media platforms. By booking on this event, you are giving consent to this unless you let us know otherwise. Any questions, please email eventsteam@hpma.org.uk in advance of the event.