Billionaire Labour backer says ‘business unfriendly’ Budget hit growth December 12, 2025 A billionaire backer of the Labour party has said the government’s “business unfriendly” policies have hit economic growth following another bleak release of data. John Caudwell, the founder of Phones 4u, said Labour “really need to change the tune of what they’re doing” to kickstart growth and appeal to businesses. It follows the latest release [...]
Recruiters suffer from sharp slowdown in permanent hiring December 7, 2025 Recruiters suffered a sharp slowdown in setting up permanent placements for job seekers in 2024, with an industry group suggesting the number of positions had fallen by more than a third compared to 2023. The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) said the UK economy’s lacklustre performance in recent years had hit businesses seen as essential [...]
‘Day-one’ rights abandoned: Lawyers warn six-month rule marks significant change for businesses November 28, 2025 The government has caved at the final hurdle after weeks of the House of Lords ping-ponging the Employment Rights Bill over the controversial ‘day one’ rights. The House of Lords has been fighting back against several key points in the Bill, especially the day-one rights. The highly contested Bill was a significant part of Labour’s [...]
Businesses expected to be named and shamed over minimum wage breaches November 22, 2025 The government will regularly name and shame employers who breach national minimum wage rules as part of reforms expected to be announced by Rachel Reeves. A Treasury source said the expected changes will provide further protection to vulnerable workers and ensure businesses have no place to hide. The reforms are also aimed at clearing a [...]
ICO urges transparency as AI transforms UK recruitment November 12, 2025 AI is rapidly reshaping recruitment in the UK, yielding companies unprecedented efficiency gains; however, regulators are warning that these benefits must be balanced with fairness and transparency to maintain public trust. William Malcolm, executive director of regulatory risk and innovation at the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), explained at Tuesday’s AI regulation summit: “We want organisations [...]
Business leaders warn Budget tax hikes could trigger higher prices November 10, 2025 Senior business leaders have called on the government to avoid increasing the cost of employment in the upcoming Autumn Budget, in order to avoid SMEs raising prices. According to a new report by Employment Hero, 86 per cent of the 1,000 business leaders are concerned about what the upcoming Budget will mean for them, as [...]
Independent review to probe ‘crisis of opportunity’ in youth inactivity November 9, 2025 An independent review into the rising numbers of young people not in work or study has been announced by Pat McFadden as he warned of a “crisis of opportunity” posed by youth inactivity. The investigation, to be led by former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn, will shape reforms to health and welfare, with a particular [...]
UK businesses accelerate layoffs amid AI surge and legislative uncertainty November 6, 2025 The number of proposed mass dismissal programmes in the UK has risen by five per cent in the last year, driven by the ongoing Employment Rights Bill and the increasing adoption of AI. The number of proposed mass dismissal programmes rose to 3,715 in 2024/25, up from 3,546 in the previous year, according to data [...]
High Court rejects Square Mile Tom James’ legal case against former employee November 5, 2025 The High Court has dismissed a lawsuit to enforce restrictive covenants and confidentiality obligations against a former employee of giant Tom James in the Square Mile. Tom James is the world’s largest manufacturer and retailer of customised clothing, and in the City, where some suits are priced at around £2,500, it tailors to working professionals. [...]
Square Mile bespoke tailor Tom James takes legal action against ex-employee October 16, 2025 Tailoring giant Tom James launched legal action in London against a former employee, seeking to enforce restrictive covenants and confidentiality obligations. Tom James Company, the UK entity of its US giant, located on Old Jewry, has launched legal action against a former sales professional, Max Potter. The company alleged in its claim, seen by City [...]