Another month, another Prime Minister. As Andy Burnham starts to tackle his growing inbox, many employers may be wondering how he is going to square the circle of pursuing economic growth. The CIPD’s Labour Market Outlook for August reveals that employers remain cautious about recruiting staff, with only 62% planning to recruit over the next three months, suggesting that many investment plans are on hold while they adjust to their new obligations under the ERA 2025, compound

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

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

With Andy Burnham expected to become the next Prime Minister later this month, it raises questions about the future direction of UK immigration policy. With the government facing pressure from business groups demanding labour market flexibility while simultaneously confronting the threat posed by Reform UK, immigration could become one of the defining tests of a Burnham premiership. Andy Burnham The key question is whether Burnham will soften some of Labour’s planned restrict

A forthcoming Burnham administration will have to confront the tension between demonstrating migration control and businesses’ need for skilled workers to foster economic growth. The next government will also have to examine Labour's earned settlement proposals, which would extend the standard settlement period for migrants from 5 to 10 years and introduce a new framework assessing their economic and societal contributions. Commenting to Solicitors Journal and Employer News,

Managing Redundancies and Related Immigration Issues in Challenging Times Changes introduced under the Employment Rights Act mean that redundancies are getting riskier. If incorrectly managed, employers could face more time-consuming, expensive and reputationally damaging claims. The current economic climate, coupled with the AI revolution, seems likely to lead to more redundancies as businesses look to reshape their workforce. In our upcoming webinar, “Managing redundancies

The dust is still settling from the recent local elections, which once again underlined the fragmentation of the UK’s two-party system. Yet when one looks at the stated policy positions of the main political parties, the immigration conversation remains firmly centred on asylum, border security and the European Convention on Human Rights. This is understandable; they are difficult and important questions that resonate on the doorstep. But the Government is making a strategic

For many migrants in the UK, obtaining Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) feels like the finish line. After years of visa applications, rising fees, paperwork, and uncertainty, settlement finally provides stability and the right to live and work in the UK without restriction. But stopping at ILR may leave people more exposed than they realise. In the latest episode of our podcast, Constantine Law partners Alex Finch and Rebecca Tester explore one increasingly important question

British industry is already feeling the strain of Labour’s restrictive immigration curbs, and a move to zero net migration could exacerbate this. The Home Office continues its determination to reduce migration as last week’s Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules made clear, with tightened salary rules for sponsored workers and the first ever nationality-specific ban on student visa applications. Although the Home Office states this will be a temporary measure, does t