April is always a busy month for employment law with new minimum payment rates and legislative changes.  April 2026 is no exception.  Some of the initial provisions of the Employment Rights Act 2025 ( ERA ) will come into force in April, together with the annual increase in minimum rates of pay. Further there will be an increase in immigration fees.   We have updated our ERA tracker, as the timetable for implementation has shifted – see below. Below is an overview of the chan

What steps is the Government taking to allay the pressures on the ET – and will these go far enough? A version of this article first appeared in Employer News 24 March 2026 Last week’s Employment Tribunal statistics  show that pressure on the UK’s Employment Tribunal system continues to grow. In Q3 2025 there were around 52,000 open cases, increasing to 58,000 by the end of December 2025, an increase of roughly 11–12% in just one quarter. The widening gap between claims rec

Planned strikes by National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers members on the London Underground in the next six weeks highlight the complexities of introducing a compressed four-day week. Unions are at loggerheads over the proposals with the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen supporting the move for fewer working days days, the RMT warns longer shifts could increase fatigue and safety risks. Employment lawyer, Alan Lewis , commenting to  Peop

Welcome to our first newsletter of 2026. As you will all know the long-awaited Employment Rights Act 2025 finally hit the statute books just before Christmas, which, as has been often repeated, represents the biggest shake up in employment law for 30 years. As the legislation is being implemented in stages, we have included a timeline on our website , tracking the changes from now through to 2027 and beyond, which we hope will provide you with a useful aide memoire. In the me

With the Employment Rights Act finally gaining Royal Assent in December 2025, we take a look at what's in store for employment law in 2026. Our updated tracker highlights some of the key changes for 2026: April 2026 New pay rates: Each April new statutory minimum rates apply for the year ahead. From 1 April 2026, minimum pay rates per hour will increase to: ·         National Living Wage: o 21 and over - £12.71 – 4.1% increase (or £977 increase per year for full time staff o

Non-compete litigation is climbing sharply, with High Court claims issued by employers against former staff up 43 per cent this year, according to a new report. A rise in business creation (up 3.5% year on year) and a slowdown for permanent hiring sending professionals into self-employment are cited as two possible reasons for this rise. Commenting to People Management, Constantine Law partner, Alan Lewis , warns that October 2026 will mark a major turning point: the use of

The Employment Rights Bill should receive Royal Assent this month.  On 28 October 2025, the House of Lords considered the House of Commons’ amendments to the Employment Rights Bill.  The Lords proposed changes to: 1.       zero-hours clauses (amending their own amendment); 2.       the day-one right to unfair dismissal protections (insisting on a 6-month qualifying period, rather than day-one); and 3.       industrial action ballot thresholds (disagreeing with the proposal t

The criticism of HR, levied by the Sunday Times as a bloated, obstructive force in UK business, overlooks a deeper truth: HR has grown...

In the latest episode in our podcast series, our new business immigration team, Alex Finch and Rebecca Tester introduce themselves before going on to discuss recent major changes to the UK’s immigration system. The UK government’s recent white paper on immigration sets out reforms designed to reduce net migration, shift focus towards domestic workforce development, and recalibrate the balance between attracting global talent and controlling settlement. Among the most signif