The House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee has called for significant reforms aimed at improving employment opportunities for disabled people, including stricter requirements around reasonable adjustments, greater workplace accessibility, and enhanced employer accountability.

An Employment Tribunal has found that paying sponsored workers more than domestic workers carrying out substantially the same role amounted to indirect race discrimination where the employer could not justify the resulting pay disparity.

The way employers are required to carry out Right to Work checks has continued to evolve as the Home Office has progressed its digitalisation plans. It also appears that the scope of who these checks should be performed on is likely to change soon.

With zero-hours reforms are on the horizon, the government has launched a detailed consultation on the changes. 

The direction of travel from the Home Office remains clear: right to work obligations are moving beyond traditional employment relationships and into the flexible ways universities routinely engage people. There has, however, been a change to the immediate position for sponsor licence holders. 

The Fair Work Agency launched in April 2026 with a strong early focus on National Minimum Wage enforcement. Schools should take this opportunity to review their pay practices, working hours, and deductions to reduce the risk of non-compliance.