Employment Rights Act Timeline: Key Dates 2026–27
Date What changes Impact on employers 18 February 2026 Trade union law reforms take effect Simpler industrial action rules and stronger protections for industrial action activity 6 April 2026 SSP expansion and higher redundancy awards More employees qualify for SSP and redundancy breaches carry higher financial exposure 7 April 2026 Fair Work Agency established […]
Employment Tribunal 2026 | What It Is and How It Works
Employment tribunal claims are not an abstract legal risk. For UK employers, they are a predictable point of failure where weak process, poor documentation, inconsistent management behaviour or delayed decision-making are exposed under forensic scrutiny. While many organisations view tribunals as rare or exceptional events, the reality is that most claims arise from everyday HR […]
Employee Burnout Explained 2026 | Signs, Causes & Impact
Employee burnout is no longer a peripheral wellbeing concern. For UK employers, it has become a material employment law, workforce risk and governance issue, intersecting with health and safety duties, disability discrimination exposure, absence management, capability procedures and retention strategy. In the post-pandemic labour market, burnout disputes increasingly surface not as isolated grievances, but as […]
Cliques at Work Explained 2026 | Meaning, Causes & Impact
Workplace cliques can be seen as groups of colleagues who share common interests and socialise inside and outside of work. It can be easy for cliques to form in a working environment; employees working closely with each other daily are all the more likely to become friends and enjoy each other’s company. While on paper […]
Work WhatsApp Groups Explained | Issues, Risks & Boundaries
The use of work WhatsApp groups has grown exponentially in recent years, particularly since the proliferation of remote and hybrid working. As a mobile messaging app, WhatsApp offers teams an easy way to stay in touch, network and share ideas. It also allows employees to message each other discreetly, often without employers being aware. But […]
What Is Hiring Regret? 2026 Causes, Signs and Examples
Every company, regardless of its size, industry or sector, depends on its employees to achieve its objectives, which means maintaining a productive workforce and hiring skilled talent that adds value to the team. With this in mind, making a bad hire can have serious implications, as the time and expense taken to recruit and onboard […]
Discounting Disability-Related Sickness Absence 2026
When an employee takes too much time off sick, you would usually follow your organisation’s disciplinary procedure, issuing warnings and, if attendance doesn’t improve, potentially dismissing them for incapacity. But while ill-health incapacity is potentially a fair reason for dismissal, employers must also ensure they are not unlawfully discriminating against someone on the grounds of […]
How to Measure Performance 2026 | Methods, Examples & Tips
Effective performance measurement helps companies identify their strengths and weaknesses, top high performers, areas for improvement, and helps set benchmarks with historical data. Gaining a competitive advantage by achieving a certain level of business performance is the primary prerequisite for the successful operation of a company in the long term in today’s highly competitive environment. […]
Discretionary Bonus 2026 Explained | Meaning & How It Works
A discretionary bonus is one of the types of bonuses that might be awarded by an employer. Some employers award discretionary bonuses to recognise an employee’s performance, as a thank you for referrals or to avoid the risk of having to recalculate any overtime compensation at the end of the year. Many employers give their […]
Period Policy at Work Explained | Menstruation Support
There is undoubtedly a general stigma in the workplace surrounding periods and menstrual health. For employees, talking to their manager or employer about period issues can be uncomfortable and embarrassing. Many may also be concerned about looking ‘weak’ or unreliable if they take time off work because of their period. For those women that struggle on […]