The government has published its consultation paper on the details of the measures in the Employment Rights Act (ERA) to give workers on zero and low hours contracts the right to a guaranteed hours contract in certain circumstances. The provisions in the ERA are lengthy and complex but much of the detail remains to be […]
The Employment Rights Act (ERA) represents the biggest change to the employment law landscape in a generation, significantly increasing protections for employees, opportunities for trade unions and risks for businesses. Most employers will already have seen extensive commentary on the ERA aimed at HR and legal teams; there is no shortage of guidance on the
The long-awaited EHRC draft Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations (Code) was laid before Parliament on 21 May 2026. Parliament has 40 days to review the code; if Parliament does not disapprove the Code, the UK government will then set a date for it to come into force. Once in force, it
In LS v NHS England the employment tribunal considered whether NHS England’s (NHSE) policy and practice of allowing female toilets, changing facilities and showers at LS’s workplace to be used by (biologically male) transwomen constituted indirect discrimination against LS on grounds of her sex, religion, gender critical beliefs or disability and harassment related to sex
In McMahon v AXA ICAS Ltd the Court of Session considered whether payments due to an employee under a permanent health insurance scheme set out in her contract of employment continued to be due and payable as ‘wages’ after she was dismissed because illness prevented her from working. The court concluded that they did, leaving
Dismissed employee could bring wage deduction claim for PHI payments post-dismissal Read More »
The recent flurry of activity on the employment law reforms being introduced under the Employment Rights Act 2025 (ERA 2025) continues today with the publication of a new consultation on regulations to prevent the use of non-disclosure agreements in cases of workplace harassment or discrimination. The consultation closes on 8 July 2026. This is the
The government has published its response to consultation on strengthening the right of trade unions to access workplaces, which is due to come into force in October 2026. The government will introduce a statutory right of access for independent trade unions to engage with workers in person or digitally for the purposes of representation, support,
Amongst the sweeping changes to UK employment law under the Employment Rights Act (ERA), employers could be forgiven for having overlooked the new duty to keep records relating to annual leave. The duty was not even referred to in the government’s timetable for implementation of the ERA but was brought into force with effect from
April traditionally marks the implementation of notable updates in employment law, and this year is no exception. Key provisions of the Employment Rights Act 2025 come into force this month, accompanied by annual revisions to statutory rates and limits. 1 April 2026 From 1 April 2026, the National Minimum Wage will increase, with the rate
Employment Rights Act: Preparing for change: April changes coming into force Read More »
One year on from the publication of a consultation on a requirement for large employers to report ethnicity and disability pay gaps, the government has now confirmed that it will take this proposal forward. These new obligations come on top of the existing annual requirement for large employers to report gender pay gap data. In
Protection of employees from harassment, and sexual harassment in particular, has been a dynamic area in recent times and a clear area of focus for the current government. In October 2024, the new duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace took effect, imposing wide-ranging and onerous obligations on employers to
A series of Home Office changes introduced from late February to early March 2026 confirms a shift toward stricter enforcement, reduced tolerance for error and greater expectations on sponsors. Key updates include a new visa brake affecting several nationalities, tighter Skilled Worker salary compliance, changes to protection routes, and adjustments to visit visa and endorsement
Following the Employment Rights Act (ERA) receiving royal assent late last year, early 2026 has already seen some further activity in relation to the Act’s provisions on contractual change. The Government’s revised timetable for ERA implementation has moved commencement of the so-called ‘fire and rehire’ provisions from October 2026 to 1 January 2027, tying in
Employment Rights Act: Preparing for change: Contract change update and action points Read More »
When the Employment Rights Bill was published in October 2024, the headline measure was the proposal to make unfair dismissal a ‘day 1 right’ by removing the qualifying period. At the 11th hour a series of defeats in the House of Lords forced the government to U-turn on that proposal. Instead, the qualifying period for
Employment Rights Act: Preparing for change: The impact of changes to unfair dismissal Read More »
The government has taken another step forward in implementing key provisions of the Employment Rights Act 2025 with the publication of employer guidance on creating action plans for both gender pay gaps and the menopause. From April 2026, large employers with 250 or more employees will be encouraged to publish the steps that they are