Insights

From 1 December 2025, the maximum period for Acas early conciliation will increase from 6 weeks to 12 weeks to help ease pressure on Acas.

The Home Office has recently issued an important warning to sponsor licence holders about a rise in phishing scams targeting the Sponsorship Management System (SMS). These scams are designed to gain unauthorised access to SMS accounts, posing significant risks to your organisation's sponsor licence and the integrity of the UK’s immigration system. 

To help protect your organisation, we’ve summarised the key details of the Home Office's guidance and outlined steps you can take to safeguard your SMS account. 

From 1 December 2025, employers must submit advance notification of collective redundancies using the new digital HR1 form.

The Court of Appeal has confirmed that failure to comply with the early conciliation requirements deprives the Tribunal of jurisdiction to hear a claim, though an identical claim may be introduced by amendment.

The Home Office is consulting on plans to extend right to work checks beyond traditional employment relationships, with significant implications for gig economy platforms and sub-contracting arrangements.

The Bill will return to the House of Lords again before Royal Assent.  

The House of Commons debated the Employment Rights Bill on Wednesday, following the Lords' opposition last week to key government proposals. Despite a lengthy and animated debate, MPs supported the government's position and voted to reject all Lords' amendments.  The Bill will therefore return to the Lords once again for further consideration.