Be Aware UK

News and views from DLA Piper's Employment team

Employment

Employment Rights Bill: Four consultation papers issued on bereavement leave, enhanced dismissal rights for pregnant women and new mothers and union rights

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The government has published four consultation papers on the details of forthcoming changes in the Employment Rights Bill (ERB), which is expected to gain Royal Assent in the next few weeks. The consultation papers cover: Bereavement leave. Enhanced dismissal rights for pregnant women and new mothers. The duty to inform workers of their right to […]

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UK Immigration Update: Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules

/ / Employment

On 14 October the Government published a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules (the Statement), impacting the Skilled Worker and other UK visa routes. The Statement implements further elements of the proposals set out in the Government’s White Paper published on 12 May 2025. The changes impacting Skilled Workers will take effect from 8

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The digital transformation of immigration: EES, ETIAS, and UK eVisas

/ / Employment

The global immigration landscape is undergoing a major digital shift. Both the European Union and the United Kingdom are introducing new systems to modernize border control, enhance security, and streamline travel. Here’s what you need to know about the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) and European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), as well as the

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Redefining employer liability: The UK’s Border Security, Asylum & Immigration Bill 2025 and the new era of immigration compliance

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Earlier this year, we published an article on the expansion of the illegal working regime to the gig economy. At that time, the Government had signalled its intention to close compliance gaps in modern labour models. Since then, the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill 2025 has progressed through Parliament, and the latest updates confirm

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Virgin Media – legislative remedy (pensions)

/ / Employment, Pensions

On 1 September, the Government published a series of amendments to the Pension Schemes Bill 2025 (Bill). These amendments include new clauses implementing the Government’s promised remedy following the Court of Appeal decision in Virgin Media Ltd v NTL Pension Trustees. The remedy will enable trustees to obtain retrospective actuarial confirmation that historic changes to contracted-out

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Changing employment terms: Revised fire and rehire rules under the Employment Rights Bill

/ Employment, Reform

The Employment Rights Bill (ERB) has almost completed the legislative process with the final report stage in the House of Lords scheduled for 3 September 2025. The ERB is likely to receive Royal Assent in the autumn and then there will be consultation about the content of secondary legislation and work will begin on supporting

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Transgender pool player was not discriminated against in being banned from competing in the female category: Haynes v The English Blackball Pool Federation

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Although not an employment case, this is one of the first court decisions dealing with transgender issues since the Supreme Court’s ruling in For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers (FWS) in which the Supreme Court confirmed that words such as ‘sex’, ‘woman’, ‘male’, and ‘female’ in the Equality Act 2010 (EqA) referred exclusively to biological

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Significant restrictions on non-disclosure agreements amongst new government amendments to the Employment Rights Bill

/ Employment

As the Employment Rights Bill (ERB) approaches its final stages before Royal Assent, further amendments have been published. The government amendments, which will almost certainly be passed due to the size of the Labour majority, include the following significant changes: Confidentiality/Non-disclosure agreements Any provision in an agreement between an employer and a worker will be

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Timetable for implementation of the Employment Rights Bill published

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The government has published its long-awaited indicative timetable for implementation of the Employment Right Bill (ERB), Implementing the Employment Rights Bill – Our roadmap for delivering change. The key takeaway is that many of the provisions of the ERB will not come into force until Autumn 2026 and beyond, including the ‘day 1’ right to

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Unlocking pension surplus: What employers need to know about the new DB scheme reforms

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At a glance The UK Government has confirmed that it will be introducing greater flexibility for defined benefit (DB) pension schemes to share surplus funds with scheme employers and beneficiaries. This will be welcome news for employers that may wish to use surplus assets to invest in the business, reduce debt or improve other employee

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UK Immigration White Paper 2025: What employers need to know

/ , / Employment, Immigration

On Monday 12 May 2025, the Government published its long-awaited white paper, containing a blueprint for significant changes to the UK immigration system. These changes are a proposed government policy, and require further legislation before becoming law. We have summarised the changes and key points for UK employers below. Overview The white paper, entitled ‘Restoring

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EHRC issues interim guidance on practical implications of Supreme Court case

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Recently, we highlighted the Supreme Court’s decision in For Women Scotland Ltd  v The Scottish Ministers which ruled on the meaning of ‘woman’, ‘man’ and ‘sex’, for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010 (EqA).  Please click here for our earlier article. This case has received widespread attention and raised a significant number of practical

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Supreme Court rules that meaning of ‘man’ and ‘woman’ in Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex

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In a judgment handed down today, For Women Scotland Ltd  v The Scottish Ministers the Supreme Court has determined the meaning of ‘man’, ‘woman’ and ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 as referring to biological sex, not acquired or certificated sex under a Gender Recognition Certificate. Background The appeal arose in the context of a

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Call for evidence: New equality laws on the horizon?

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The government is seeking evidence and views on areas of equality policy to help better understand how the law is working in practice and on areas of possible equality law reform. The call for evidence will help shape the measures included in the draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill and the Employment Rights Bill. The equality

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