The UK government has published a roadmap setting out the timetable for implementation of the reforms set out in the Employment Rights Bill. This roadmap confirms that the UK government will take a phased approach to both consulting on these policies and introducing them following the Employment Rights Bill receiving Royal Assent. While the Bill
Amanda Sanders (UK)
Tackling Non-Financial Misconduct in Financial Services – the employment law perspective
The FCA has issued a Consultation Paper proposing a series of changes aimed at strengthening the regulatory framework around non-financial misconduct (NFM) in the financial services sector. The Policy Statement provides a new rule (to come into force on 1 September 2026) that non-financial misconduct, such as bullying and harassment will apply to a broader…
High Court Clarifies scope of Liabilities that Transfer under TUPE.
In the recent High Court decision of ABC v Huntercombe (No 12) Ltd and others, the court delivered a significant ruling clarifying the scope of liabilities that transfer under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (“TUPE”). Specifically, the court addressed whether vicarious liability for torts committed by employees prior to a…
Court of Appeal decision on whistleblower protections for job applicants
In Sullivan v Isle of Wight Council, the Court of Appeal found against the Claimant’s application to extend the whistleblower protections afforded by the Employment Rights Act 1996 (the ERA) to job applicants. The Court of Appeal found that the exclusion of job applicants from such whistleblower protections in this instance was compatible…
Definition of “woman” for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010
In For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers the Supreme Court unanimously decided that the definition of the terms “man” “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 (EA 2010) refer to a persons biological sex. The appeal concerned the lawfulness of statutory guidance issued by the Respondent, which stated that a gender recognition…
Consultation on Ethnicity and Disability pay gap reporting.
In October 2024, the government released the draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, outlining its plan to implement mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting for larger employers. On 18 March 2025, the government published a consultation document to gather feedback on the proposed mechanisms and to guide the subsequent development and drafting of the…
Employment law changes in April 2025
- Increase in limits on awards in employment tribunals effective from 6 April 2025: The Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order 2025 increases the limits applying to certain awards of employment tribunals and other amounts payable under employment legislation:
- The maximum amount
Further changes to the Employment Rights Bill: What do employers need to know?
In October last year the government published the Employment Rights Bill (the Bill) which contained significant reforms to employment rights (The new Employment Rights Bill: What does it mean for employers? | Global Workplace Insider). The Government has subsequently consulted on various proposals and on 5 March it published five responses to consultation. …
Court of Appeal decision on dismissal of employee for religious and philosophical beliefs
The Court of Appeal has held in the case of Higgs v Farmor’s school and others that the dismissal of an employee for posting on social medial in relation to her beliefs on gender fluidity and the nature of sex education teaching, particularly in primary schools, was not objectively justified and amounted to unlawful discrimination.…
New Neonatal Care Rights: A Step Forward for Working Parents
The UK government has announced a transformative update for working parents. From 6 April 2025, the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 will introduce Neonatal Care Leave (NCL) as a day-one entitlement and Statutory Neonatal Care Pay (NCP) for eligible employees.
Currently, parents of newborn babies needing neonatal care rely on the discretion…