Commentary and insights

Informed opinion, guidance and commentary on issues of interest to HR.

This tool includes:

  • Commentary and debate on HR and workplace practices.
  • Guidance and opinion on employment law developments.

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Employment Rights Act 2025 Hub

Your overview of employment law developments that are in the pipeline, where you can learn what's happening, what might be happening and what isn't happening. We also set out how you can start preparing for upcoming changes.

Latest items in Commentary and insights

  • Wage compression: Practical steps to manage its effects

    Date:
    6 August 2026

    Wage compression has shifted from a background reward concern to a strategic risk that employers can no longer afford to ignore. Dean Morley sets out practical steps that organisations can take to address its effects.

  • Employment Rights Act 2025 Hub

    Date:
    31 July 2026

    Acas is consulting on a new Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures, with a greater focus on dealing with issues informally. The timeframe for a new code to come into effect is not yet known.

  • Wellbeing investment is working - but can you prove it?

    Date:
    29 July 2026

    For most employers, the question is no longer whether to invest in employee wellbeing - it is whether they can prove it is working. As HR budgets face deeper cuts, the ability to measure and articulate wellbeing's value has become as important as the investment itself. How can organisations close the gap between the outcomes they are seeing and the evidence needed to demonstrate and defend wellbeing investment?

  • How will the Employment Rights Act 2025 changes to unfair dismissal affect the use of fixed-term contracts?

    Date:
    23 July 2026

    The reduction of the qualifying period for protection from unfair dismissal is one of the most significant workplace reforms contained in the Employment Rights Act 2025. In our recent webinar on the subject, attendees asked about the implications of the changes for the use of fixed-term contracts.

  • Reintegration after incarceration: Challenging the workplace stigma against ex-offenders

    Date:
    15 July 2026

    If you were sent to prison, would you know how to rebuild your life? Would you be able to trust in an inclusive, fair and progressive employment system? Georgie Williams considers the first steps employers can take to open their doors to formerly incarcerated workers and be part of the DEI movement towards post-carceral reintegration.

  • Bank holidays: six things employers need to know

    Date:
    10 July 2026

    Are employees entitled to extra pay for working on bank holidays? What does an employer do if an employee refuses to work on a bank holiday? How should bank holidays be managed for part-time employees? We explain how to deal with some of the most common issues public holidays can raise.

  • Employment tribunal hearing delays: A temporary challenge or the new normal?

    Date:
    9 July 2026

    The employment tribunal system is already overloaded and from October 2026 the Employment Rights Act 2025 increases the time limit for making claims to six months. Does this spell "the death of labour law", asks Max Winthrop as he looks at some of the issues HR face when claims are made and offers advice on what steps they can take.

  • HR for HR: How will the ERA statutory sick pay changes affect short-term work absences?

    Date:
    30 June 2026

    In April, the Employment Rights Act 2025 (ERA) introduced significant changes to statutory sick pay (SSP) eligibility. How will these reforms influence employee attitudes to taking sick leave, and how can organisations adapt their processes and culture to achieve the best results? Caroline Green asked HR professionals to share their insights.

  • The future of flexible working starts with HR

    Date:
    26 June 2026

    Flexible working is reshaping workplace expectations. With further changes due under the Employment Rights Act 2025 next year, Charlotte Wiseman and Olivia Arnold, of leading organisational consultancy Step Inside Group, explore the implications for HR teams, managers and employees, and outline a blueprint of what best practice looks like for organisations.

  • Practical action over performativity: Reforming your Pride efforts

    Date:
    18 June 2026

    This Pride Month, the UK's LGBTQ+ rights ranking has fallen to its lowest point in Western Europe. Gender and sexuality consultant Georgie Williams offers an impassioned and expert view on what employers and individuals can do to move beyond "pinkwashing" and embed meaningful LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace.

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