Lay Off Pay: Guide for UK Employers
“Lay off pay” is a term commonly used by employers when work dries up and difficult short-term decisions need to be made about staffing costs. However, in UK employment law, the phrase is frequently misunderstood and misapplied. There is no general legal right to ongoing “lay off pay”, and employers who rely on informal assumptions […]
Internships: A 2026 Employment Law Guide
Internships remain a common feature of UK workforce planning, particularly for employers seeking to attract early-career talent, test future hires or support skills development. However, internships also sit at the intersection of some of the most actively enforced areas of UK employment law, particularly around employment status and the National Minimum Wage. The legal risk […]
Working Time Regulations 1998: 2026 Employer’s Guide
This article is a compliance-grade employer guide to the Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR), written for HR professionals and business owners who need certainty, defensibility and operational clarity. It explains what the Working Time Regulations legally require, how those requirements are enforced in practice, and how employers should structure policies, systems and management behaviour to […]
Skilled Worker Visa UK: Requirements, Salary & Eligibility 2026
Section A: What is the Skilled Worker Visa? The Skilled Worker visa, which replaced the Tier 2 (General) visa, is the main work visa for overseas nationals. It allows employers to sponsor non-UK nationals to work in the UK in eligible, skilled roles. The visa is open to individuals who attain 70 points […]
ENIC (UK NARIC) & English Language Requirement 2026
Section A: What is UK ENIC and how does it relate to UK NARIC? UK ENIC is the UK’s national body responsible for assessing and comparing overseas qualifications against UK standards. Its role is to provide official confirmation of how international academic qualifications align with UK bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and PhD levels, […]
Legal Break Times for an 8 Hour Shift 2026
Employers regularly ask what the law actually requires when staff work an 8 hour shift, particularly around breaks. The confusion is understandable. The legal rules are deceptively short, but the compliance risk sits in how those rules are applied in real workplaces with pressure, understaffing, shift patterns and operational demands. At its core, the law […]
FLR Visa: Apply for Further Leave to Remain 2026
Section A: What is an FLR Visa? Applying for Further Leave to Remain (FLR) can quickly become a demanding process. In order to secure permission to stay in the UK beyond your current period of leave, an FLR application requires you to show you continue to qualify under the relevant Immigration Rules and […]
Breaks at Work: 2026 UK Employer Rules & Risks
Regular breaks at work are not just a wellbeing issue. In UK employment compliance terms, breaks sit at the intersection of working time limits, health and safety risk, operational planning and dispute exposure. When breaks are not built into working patterns, the consequences are rarely limited to a single complaint. Employers typically see a cluster […]