A version of this article first appeared in Personnel Today on 25 September 2026. The UK government is significantly expanding the Right to Work regime from 1 October 2026 and employers are advised to review their arrangements now to ensure compliance with the new rules. The most significant change is the extension of Right to Work checks beyond traditional employees. The new regime will apply to a broader range of working arrangements. This is an important development for bu

The FCA's new rules on non-financial misconduct, which came into force on 1 September 2026 expand those workplace allegations that can now become a career-ending regulatory problem. Allegations of bullying, harassment or violence can engage the FCA's Conduct Rules and fitness and propriety regime and the consequences of getting that assessment wrong can be profound. For non-bank SM&CR firms, the Conduct Rules now expressly extend to serious bullying, harassment and violence

One in eight 16 to 24-year-olds are now out of employment, education or training, according to statistics released by the ONS. That's just short of 1m young people classified as NEET. Jobs outlook While these figures, which account for the period from April to June 2026, are slightly lower than the figures from January to March (when 1,011,000 young people were NEET), they are 3% higher than the same period from last year. These statistics are framed against a highly competit

For many UK businesses, recruiting international talent has become a vital part of growth. But sponsoring overseas workers also comes with significant legal responsibilities, and those responsibilities are coming under far greater scrutiny than ever before. The Home Office has always maintained that holding a sponsor licence is a privilege rather than a right. What has changed is the level of enforcement. Employers are seeing more compliance activity, more requests for eviden

Much has been written about the risks of lawyers misusing AI for legal research and drafting. Recent cases involving fabricated authorities and inaccurate legal analysis have rightly attracted attention. However, in my view, the greater and more immediate challenge lies elsewhere: the routine use of AI by clients themselves. Every day, clients are uploading legal advice, correspondence and draft documents into AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude and others. They do so for en

The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 has introduced a new statutory right for individuals, including employees to complain directly to data controllers about alleged UK GDPR infringements. For employers and other data controllers, this is a significant practical compliance change, not merely a technical footnote. From 19 June 2026, privacy notices, DSAR templates and internal complaints processes will need to reflect this new change. Employers will have to be able to show that

With temperatures soaring, employers should take immediate steps to assess and manage heat-related risks, the HSE has warned. With temperatures forecast to reach 38°C and a rare red heat warning in place, the regulator stressed that extreme heat can affect worker health, safety and productivity. Employment partner Alan Lewis , commenting to People Management, highlights the legal consequences of failing to address heat risks: “Because heat is a hazard, failure to assess and

Managing Partner, John Hayes' thoughts on the possible direction of travel for employment law under a government led by Andy Burnham have been picked up by the press. John's believes that a Burnham-led government may signal a more “interventionist” approach to workplace regulation, but that this must be balanced against the need to drive economic growth and maintain labour market flexibility. John urges employers to have their voices heard by engaging with the consultation on

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