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.

Peers again backed substantial changes to the Bill in a series of decisive votes, setting up another return to the Commons and raising questions over the timetable for Royal Assent and beyond.

The Government has reversed its manifesto pledge to introduce day one unfair dismissal protections in a bid to keep the Employment Rights Bill on track. 

The Chancellor’s 2025 Budget sets out a wide range of reforms affecting employment costs, payroll administration and HR compliance. The main measures likely to affect employers are summarised below.

The Department for Business and Trade has released a detailed working paper exploring four potential models for reforming non-compete clauses in employment contracts. The paper invites views from employers and other stakeholders by 18 February 2026.

The Court of Appeal has confirmed that initiating legal or arbitral proceedings may amount to a whistleblowing detriment, with clear implications for how employers respond to confidential disclosures.