Articles
Agency workers: consultation on modernising the regulatory framework
18 Feb 2026The government is consulting on significant reform of the rules governing agency work and umbrella companies, with implications for businesses across multiple sectors.
National minimum wage: draft 2026 increases published
18 Feb 2026Draft regulations increasing the national minimum wage rates from 1 April 2026 have been laid before Parliament, alongside the Low Pay Commission’s annual report explaining its recommendations.
EAT confirms dismissal unfair where key element of employer’s reason was not reasonably held
18 Feb 2026The EAT has reiterated that fairness must be assessed by reference to the employer’s actual reason for dismissal. Where a key element of that reason is not based on reasonable grounds, the dismissal will be unfair.
Consultation opens on improving access to flexible working
11 Feb 2026The government has launched a consultation on changes to the statutory flexible working regime under the Employment Rights Act 2025.
Fire and rehire: consultation on expenses, benefits and shift patterns
11 Feb 2026The government has launched a further consultation on how the new fire and rehire protections under the Employment Rights Act 2025 should apply to changes to expenses, benefits in kind and shift patterns.
COT3 settlements can bar future whistleblowing claims based on the same disclosures
11 Feb 2026The EAT has confirmed that a broadly drafted COT3 can prevent an employee from bringing later whistleblowing detriment claims, even where the alleged detriment occurs after the settlement and in a different role, provided the claim is rooted in the same underlying disclosures.
