# Dismissal: Shaping New Developments into Solution-Focused Answers for Employers in Scotland

> Solution-Focused, Court-Proven, Answers to 6 of the Thorniest Dismissal Questions Facing Scottish Employers: Directly from 7 Top-Flight Lawyers

- Format: In-person
- Date: Thursday, 5 November 2026, 10:00AM to 4:00PM (registration from 9:30AM)
- Venue: The Caledonian Hotel, Princes St, Edinburgh, EH1 2AB
- 5 hours CPD
- Rates: Live Attendance £299.00 + VAT per person
- Status: Open for booking
- Book: https://whitepaper.co.uk/conferences/hrscotland262

## Programme

- 09:30 Registration and coffee
- 10:00 Chair's Introduction: How will upcoming reforms to unfair dismissal impact how you hire, manage and exit staff?
  - Chaired by Paul Smith, Broadway House Chambers
- 10:15 Disability-Related Absence: When is “enough enough” in disability-related absence cases - frequent intermittent absences, a refusal to engage with HR or OH, and prolonged absence?
  - Answered by Dawn Dickson, Anderson Strathern
- 10:55 Sexual Harassment: What counts as “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment — and how does that change the way you investigate, discipline or dismiss when a complaint is made?
  - Answered by Gillian MacLellan, CMS
- 11:35 Morning Coffee
- 11:55 Active Resistance: How do you keep control of a performance process where the employee actively resists — going off sick, alleging bullying, or raising a complaint against HR?
  - Answered by Noele McClelland, Thorntons
- 12:35 Cultural Misalignment: When can you act if an employee is difficult, culturally misaligned or a mischief-maker — but not objectively underperforming?
  - Answered by Morag Hutchison, Shepherd and Wedderburn
- 13:15 Lunch
- 14:00 AI Generated Appeals & Grievances: How far can you push back on AI-generated grievances or disciplinary appeals that are excessive, misguided or simply wrong — without hampering the investigation or hearing?
  - Answered by Euan Smith, Eversheds Sutherland
- 14:40 Neurodivergence issues: How much leeway do you have where a neurodivergent condition is raised late, informally or without a formal diagnosis - to explain difficult behaviour or poor performance?
  - Answered by Alan Delaney, Morton Fraser MacRoberts
- 15:20 Overrun
- 16:00 Close of conference

## How to book

Choose a rate on the [conference page](https://whitepaper.co.uk/conferences/hrscotland262) and press Book Now. Checkout asks for the booking contact and company address, then each delegate's name and email, then payment: Credit/Debit Card, or Bank Transfer/Cheque to be sent an invoice. Bookings are subject to the [booking policy](https://whitepaper.co.uk/booking-policy).