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

Performance appraisals remain one of the most misunderstood and often disliked processes in the workplace. Despite good intentions, many organisations still rely on annual reviews that feel stressful, subjective, and disconnected from real performance.  As businesses head into 2026, this approach is becoming both ineffective and risky. And that’s the topic up for debate in the latest episode in our We can work it out podcast series, with John Hayes and Amanda Rajkumar .  Wh