The Work Couch Live: The workforce revolution

Join our Employment, Engagement, and Equality team for a special live episode of The Work Couch - our popular podcast series that brings employment law to life in a practical, accessible, and commercial way.

For this event, host Ellie Gelder will take the conversation off the air and into the room with The Work Couch Live: The workforce revolution

Event date: 07 October 2026

Duration: 3.5 hours

Event time: 09:30

Event type: In-person

Provided by: RPC

RPC’s Employment, Engagement and Equality team is pleased to invite you to The Work Couch Live: The workforce revolution – a special live edition of our podcast, hosted by Ellie Gelder.

Join senior legal, HR and business leaders for a practical, commercial discussion on the forces reshaping the workplace – from AI and emerging workplace technologies to shifting regulation and major legal developments, including the Employment Rights Act.

Over breakfast, you’ll gain expert insight on what the workforce revolution means in practice – and how to get your organisation ready, including:

a keynote from Anna Thomas MBE, Founding Director at Institute for the Future of Work on how AI changes what we do
a live podcast with Jake Wall, Mark Goyder and Professor Catherine Barnard who share their perspectives on how AI fits into the future of work and what tomorrow's organisations will look like
an interactive panel Q&A discussion with the podcast panellists and Mandy Kaur, Legal Director at Pizza Express on the practicalities of implementing AI, navigating the financial and people pressures, and effectively future proofing the workforce. This is your forum to ask questions, share observations and swap real-world insights
an opportunity to network with peers and industry leaders over a delicious breakfast and expertly crafted coffee from our in-house barista.

Agenda

0900–0930: Arrival and refreshments

0930–0940: Welcome and introduction

0940–1000: Prompting the future: How AI changes what we do
Keynote | Anna Thomas MBE, Founding Director at Institute for the Future of Work will speak about the impact of AI on roles and how innovation, governance and fairness can be balanced in shaping better futures of work.

1000–1055: The Work Couch Live: The workforce revolution and balancing different perspectives
Live podcast | The Work Couch host Ellie Gelder will be joined by a panel from across industry, business and academia to discuss how AI fits into the future of work and what tomorrow's organisations will look like. We will explore the AI capability gap and workforce agility, workplace monitoring, emerging pathways to employment, and the value of the individual in an increasingly tech-dominated world.

1055–1115: Refreshment break

1115–1215: The practical: What are you doing in your workplace? (Chatham House)
Panel discussion | Host: Charlotte White, Partner at RPC
We will discuss the practicalities of implementing AI, navigating the financial and people pressures, and effectively future proofing the workforce. Mandy Kaur, Legal Director at PizzaExpress will share her insights before we open the floor to your questions. This Chatham House panel is your forum to ask questions, share observations and swap real-world insights.

1215–1230: Closing remarks

1230–1300: Lunch (optional)

Speakers

Anna Thomas MBE - Founding Director, Institute for the Future of Work

Ellie Gelder - Senior Content Lead – Employment & Equality, RPC

Jake Wall - Policy Manager, techUK

Mark Goyder - Founder of Tomorrow's Company

Professor Catherine Barnard - Professor of European law and employment law at the University of Cambridge