Parental leave and pay review: update
In June 2025, the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) published its report, “Equality at work: Paternity and shared parental leave.” This report followed a December 2024 call for evidence and forms part of the WEC’s ‘Equality at work’ inquiry, aligning with the Labour Manifesto’s commitment to enhancing family-friendly rights. The report set out numerous recommendations to fix the “broken system” […]
UK Bank Holidays 2026/27
Last month, the Government published dates for UK Bank Holidays from now through to the end of 2027. You can access their list here. However, you will notice that if a holiday year runs between 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, there will be ten public bank holidays not the usual eight, as the table below illustrates. Holiday Year 1 April 2024 – […]
Fair pay agreement process in adult social care
One of the reforms in the Employment Rights Bill is the introduction of a Fair Pay Agreement in the adult social care sector. For this to be introduced, the Government must first conduct a public consultation, where on conclusion, the responses will be analysed and used to inform policy development. On 30 September, a new […]
Trade Union Reforms Expected Soon
According to the Government’s roadmap for delivering their Plan to Make Work Pay, the Employment Rights Bill (ERB) will be implemented in at least four phases, the first one being at or soon after the Bill receives Royal Assent. This means the first round of changes could come into effect as early as the end […]
New Digital ID Scheme Announced
Recently, the Prime Minister announced the launch of a new scheme aimed at tackling illegal working in the UK. The introduction of a new digital ID system will mean it becomes compulsory to hold a digital ID to be eligible for work in the UK. As a result, this will become a recognised form of […]
Make Work Pay: How Will the SSP Reforms Impact Absenteeism?
Expected reforms to statutory sick pay (SSP) under the Employment Rights Bill are poised to be among the most significant. This is for two main reasons: the potential for increased costs to businesses, and the fact that these changes will most heavily impact small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which make up 99% of all businesses […]
What classifies an individual as a worker vs self-employed?
Overview The primary matter considered in this employment tribunal case was whether Bolt drivers were classed as self-employed or workers. The Employment Rights Act 1996, section 230(3) defines a worker as: “an individual who has entered into or works under a contract or any other contract whether express or implied and whether oral or in […]
‘Simpler Recycling’ in the Workplace in England
In England, as part of the ‘Simpler Recycling’ initiative which stems from the Environment Act 2021, all businesses and non-domestic premises — effective from 2025 — are required to separate their waste into four waste streams: food waste paper and card mixed recyclables (plastic, metal, glass) non-recyclables Deadlines for Compliance Micro-firms with fewer than 10 […]
Organisations fined more than £4m for unfair working practices when setting freelancer pay
In 2013, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which is a non-ministerial department, was established with the purpose of promoting competitive markets and tackling unfair behaviour. As an authority, it also plays a significant role in helping to determine if a proposed merger or acquisition could limit consumer choice. Freelancer Pay Investigation by the CMA […]
Employment Status & Rights: HMRC Research for Employers
HM Revenue and Customs commissioned the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) to carry out independent research on employment statuses from the perspective of employment rights. They surveyed 8,767 UK adults, aged 18 to 64, in May and June 2023 through online and telephone surveys and fieldwork. What Is Employment Status? In this context, a […]
How is AI impacting the UK labour market?
With AI becoming more prevalent in employment, we are starting to see the evidence of its impact on employment both in terms of people practices, but also on the UK labour market. Entry-Level Job Decline Since the Launch of ChatGPT In a recent study by recruitment firm Adzuna, their research found that the number of […]
Menopause in the workplace – Big changes coming for large employers
Earlier this month, the Government announced that from 2027, menopause action plans will be mandatory for organisations employing 250+ employees. Back in 2021, the Women and Equalities Committee looked at the extent to which discrimination connected to the menopause occurs in the workplace, and how government policy and workplace practices could be improved to support […]
Outdoor Workers and Sun Exposure
As we head into the summer months, rising temperatures and increased sun exposure can pose health risks to those working outdoors. Typical professions at risk include construction, agriculture, gardening, facilities teams, and outdoor service workers. Short-term exposure to heat and sun can lead to: Sunburn Dehydration Fatigue Heat exhaustion Heat stress The most serious effect […]
New Guidance for Agency Workers
HMRC Issues New Guidance on Tax Avoidance for Agency Workers and Contractors As part of HMRC’s ongoing efforts to tackle tax avoidance, it has released updated guidance specifically aimed at agency workers and contractors. This new information is designed to help individuals identify whether they may have been involved in a tax avoidance scheme—particularly when […]
Reforming zero-hour contracts – what do employers think of the forthcoming changes?
In our recent webinar, we explored the UK Government’s proposed reforms aimed at banning ‘exploitative zero-hour contracts’. We examined the potential impact these employment law changes could have on an employer’s ability to recruit and retain staff, while also considering how businesses can remain agile and flexible within the new legal framework. Using our regular […]
Managing stress in the workplace
We ran our annual SME Business Survey back in November and asked what the most important aspects of Health and Safety over the next 12 months were. Mental health came out top, with 85% of SME business leaders stating that mental health will be their biggest health and safety challenge in 2023, an increase of 6% […]
COVID – 19 – managing the workplace safely
The government’s COVID-19 announcement yesterday (21 February 2022) confirmed the end of all COVID-19 restrictions which will gradually take effect between now and 1 April. It will mean that moving forward the responsibility for how to live with the virus will be placed on individuals rather than the government and their interventions that we have […]
SSP and Covid – Reimbursement Scheme Reintroduced
The Chancellor announced last night that he is reintroducing the SSP reimbursement scheme for SMEs who have employees off sick with Covid. The full details of the scheme are yet to be announced, however the government updated has updated its guidance on gov.uk with the message: “This scheme will be reintroduced from mid-January 2022. Further guidance […]
Highest Health and Safety Executive fine for 2021
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued its highest value fine for 2021 to rail operator W.H. Malcom Ltd. following a boy’s death. The company must pay £6.5m after it was found guilty of negligence after an 11-year-old boy was fatally electrocuted in 2017. The boy managed to get into the Daventry International Rail […]
Employers, HR and the new COVID variant and rules – what you need to know
Further to the discovery of the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, the government has introduced precautionary measures to slow the spread in the UK until more can be understood about the potential impact. Although there is much still to be learned about the variant, it is understood that it spreads ‘very rapidly’ and can be spread […]