We can work it out: Episode 1 - The Burnout Epidemic

Law meets leadership: Why It’s time to rethink how we solve workplace challenges

In the ever-shifting landscape of modern work, the challenges facing UK employers and employees have never been more complex or more interconnected. From navigating hybrid work and mental health expectations to dealing with AI’s impact on jobs and keeping abreast of changing regulations, every decision at work now has both a human and a legal dimension.

That intersection—where leadership meets law—is precisely where John Hayes, Managing Partner of Constantine Law, and Amanda Rajkumar, Board-level HR practitioner, speaker, and former Chief HR Officer at global giants such as Adidas, JP Morgan, and BNP Paribas, are focusing their attention on The Employment Law Podcast, in a new monthly podcast series called We Can Work It Out.

Their mission? To bring together two worlds that too often operate in silos; the legal framework that governs employment and the human reality that drives it, and to have honest, pragmatic conversations about how organisations can thrive amid uncertainty.

Leadership and law come together

Legal and HR perspectives are often seen as opposites: the lawyer as the gatekeeper of risk and compliance, the HR leader as the champion of culture and people. In reality, the modern workplace demands both. But culture and compliance are not competing priorities; they are two sides of the same coin.

John and Amanda bring contrasting yet complementary experiences: one shaped by decades advising employers and litigating complex cases, the other forged in boardrooms of global organisations managing thousands of people. Together, they explore what happens when those perspectives meet—sometimes clashing, often converging, but always moving the conversation forward.

The real issues on the table

Each episode of the new series will dive into one of the pressing issues shaping the future of work in the UK, including:

• Hybrid and flexible working: balancing employee expectations with operational and legal realities.

• Equality, diversity and inclusion: ensuring initiatives go beyond policy statements to deliver genuine change.

• The wellbeing-productivity paradox: supporting employee mental health without losing focus on performance.

• Regulatory shifts and case law: understanding how evolving employment law affects everyday management decisions.

• The rise of AI and data in HR: the new frontier for both ethics and employment law.

  
  

As this series unfolds, expect candid conversations, fresh perspectives, and practical takeaways designed to help anyone navigating the complex intersection of law, people, and leadership.

Episode 1 - The Burnout Epidemic

In this first episode, John and Amanda discuss burnout, why with long term sickness claims rising by 5000 per day, Britain has become the sick man of Europe, and what the newly published Keep Britain Working review offers by way of solutions. Their wide ranging discussion includes:

Mayfield Review - the call for a Workplace Health Provision

John outlines the report’s four-strand proposal for improving workplace health:

• In-work rehabilitation and re-engagement plans.

• Healthy in-work monitoring to prevent issues early.

• Support for employees with existing conditions, including neurodiversity.

• Effective sickness-absence management and return-to-work support.

Crucially, the government expects employers to fund these measures, which could be a major financial burden—especially for SMEs.

The Hybrid Work Paradox

Amanda argues that hybrid work, while designed to improve flexibility, has made burnout harder to detect. Line managers often miss “soft signals” of stress because they aren’t in daily physical proximity to their teams. The UK has some of the highest levels of hybrid working in Europe, is there a connection here?

Solutions: Training, Data, and Empathy

Both presenters agree that prevention starts with line-manager awareness and training, teaching managers how to spot early signs of stress and burnout.

Regular employee engagement surveys are an inexpensive tool for SMEs and can serve as early warning systems if used properly.

Amanda calls for board-level accountability for employee wellbeing, suggesting that wellness should be a standing item on board agendas, not just a “soft” HR concern.

A Call for Corporate Empathy and Systemic Redesign

The pair conclude that burnout is not a personal flaw—it’s a workplace design flaw.

They advocate for “corporate empathy”: re-engineering work to be sustainable, supportive, and humane.

John suggests government incentives, like tax reductions, for companies that invest in effective wellbeing initiatives.

Do you agree with John and Amanda? Don’t forget to subscribe and share your thoughts on our latest episode!