Next phase of workers rights overhaul risks hammering ‘labour market’ Legal The latest phase of the government’s workers rights overhaul may have “an adverse impact on the labour market”, experts have warned, as businesses deal with the costly implications of taking on new staff. Taking effect on Friday, the next stage of the overhaul comes as part of the government’s sweeping employment reforms in its landmark [...]
Labour workers’ rights overhaul to inflict ‘negative’ hit on economy, OBR says Economics Britain’s fiscal watchdog has warned Labour’s overhaul of workers’ rights will have a “negative economic impact” as the cost to businesses will far outstrip any boost to workers’ productivity. The government’s sweeping employment reforms in its landmark Employment Rights Act (ERA) have reduced the qualifying period for unfair dismissal to six months, removed the compensation [...]
See you in court (eventually): Labour’s dumping problems on broken Tribunals Politics Since coming to power, Labour has passed some hefty laws, including its landmark renters’ rights reform and employment overhaul, but they aren’t giving voters more power; they’re passing them onto the already backlogged Tribunal system, writes Maria Ward-Brennan. One of the main reforms in focus is the Renters’ Rights Act, which came into force in [...]
Companies to shoulder responsibility for harassment outside the office October 21, 2026 Businesses will face harassment risks beyond their own workplaces, including at client meetings, events, and in interactions with suppliers and service providers, as new employment laws take effect at the end of this month. Currently, employers face direct liability only for harassment committed by their own staff. But on 30 October the UK government will [...]
Banning non-competes is a hollow victory — firms will just ramp up gardening leave October 14, 2026 The Prime Minister revealed last Friday that the government will curb non-compete clauses in employment contracts, a move that has raised some eyebrows in the City. But despite business pushback over yet another overhaul of employment laws, City lawyers have already been 10 steps ahead with alternatives, Maria Ward-Brennan writes. Andy Burnham, in his speech [...]
Businesses braced for wave of tribunal claims as government expands legal time limit September 30, 2026 Employers are set to face a fresh legal headache as the time limit for employees to bring claims to employment tribunals doubles, as the next phase of the reformed Employment Rights Act takes effect. From 1 October, employees will be given the legal right to take six months to bring cases to court against employers [...]
Working from home ‘more important than pay’ among top managers September 18, 2026 Flexible working arrangements are one of the main reasons managers stay in their jobs, according to new research from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). According to the CMI, two in five of over 1,000 managers surveyed said flexible working was one of the main reasons they have decided to stay with their current employer. Arrangements [...]
Why it could now cost more to sack an executive in the UK than FRANCE September 17, 2026 Labour’s overhaul of employment rights, particularly the removal of the unfair dismissal compensation cap, could leave British businesses facing a higher bill for dismissing executives than their European counterparts. As the government pushed its Employment Rights Bill into law, it ditched the £118,000 compensation limit on unfair dismissal claims to appease unions after the House [...]
Healey wants to focus on the future but business is haunted by past mistakes September 8, 2026 John Healey has a reassuring voice. If he revealed dry rot in your house or rang to tell you of suspicious activity on your account, you’d feel oddly calm about it. He’s not a gifted public speaker, but there is an ease and a glimmer of warmth that stands in stark contrast to the earnest [...]
Tesco, B&Q and Whitbread scolded in minimum wage crackdown September 3, 2026 Labour’s new workers’ rights police force has scolded Tesco, B&Q and Whitbread, and more than 600 other firms, for failing to pay the minimum wage. The Fair Work Agency has published the names of 658 companies which have been fined £7m and forced to return £4m to more than 27,000 workers who have not been [...]