Commentary and insights

All items: Collective employee relations

  • Employee forums - what are their benefits and will they be affected by the ERA trade union reforms?

    Date:
    8 September 2026

    The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces reforms that significantly strengthen trade union rights, so this is a good moment for organisations to review the quality of their existing employee engagement arrangements. Shelagh Prosser speaks to a group of organisations about how to build effective, credible and inclusive mechanisms for employee voice and involve employees in organisational decision making.

  • Employment Rights Act 2025 - 10 of your key questions answered

    Date:
    17 August 2026

    In our Employment Rights Act 2025 recap webinar, we highlighted key areas from previous sessions on the requirement to provide workers with a statement of the right to join a trade union; the expanded duty to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment; and aligning probation processes as a result of the reduction of the unfair dismissal qualifying period. Here we tackle 10 key recurring questions that came in during the webinar.

  • Employment Rights Act 2025 trade union law changes - your questions answered

    Date:
    20 May 2026

    The Employment Rights Act 2025 contains many reforms to trade union-related workplace legislation. Employment lawyer and trade union relations specialist Nick Chronias recently presented a Brightmine webinar on the subject. Here he answers some of the questions he didn't have time to address during the session.

  • The ERA era - takeaways from our trade union reforms roundtable

    Date:
    4 March 2026

    Are you ready for the trade union-related reforms contained in the Employment Rights Act 2025 (ERA)? We report on a recent roundtable discussion, organised by Brightmine and HR Grapevine, at which leading employers discussed their strategies to make a success of the new legislation.

  • Employment Rights Act 2025 essentials: Industrial action reforms

    Date:
    23 February 2026

    In the latest part of our series exploring the detail of the Employment Rights Act 2025, we look at changes to industrial action laws and the potential impact on employers. We look separately at the related topic of trade union reforms.

  • Employment Rights Act 2025 essentials: Trade union reforms

    Date:
    23 February 2026

    In the latest part of our series exploring the detail of the Employment Rights Act 2025, we look at the changes to trade union-related laws and the potential impact on employers. We look separately at the related topic of industrial action ballots.

  • M&A integration planning - seven key questions for HR leaders to ask

    Date:
    2 October 2024

    As an HR leader you sit at the centre of M&A integration. This is an opportunity to drive real business change - executing a plan based on your business' goals positions you for integration and deal success. Steve Allan sets out the seven questions you need to be asking to prepare for success.

  • General election 2024: What might a Labour Government mean for employers?

    Date:
    29 May 2024

    With a general election confirmed for 4 July 2024, we look at two key areas where Labour's employment law proposals, if implemented, would transform the face of employment law in the UK and have significant implications for employers.

  • Minimum service levels - what are they and what does the future hold?

    Date:
    22 May 2024

    In July 2023, the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 came into force. This legislation gives the Government the power to make regulations to introduce minimum service levels (MSLs) where strikes take place in "relevant services". To date, MSL regulations are in place for passenger rail, ambulance, border control, and fire and rescue services, with regulations awaited for key hospital, education and nuclear decommissioning and radioactive waste management services.

  • The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill: Controversial in theory, unworkable in practice

    Date:
    16 June 2023

    The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill is the Government's response to the widespread industrial action recently seen across public services, including transport, schools and the NHS. But the legislation is fraught with problems - not least because it skips over the question of what a minimum service level actually is, says consultant editor Darren Newman.

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Commentary and insights: HR and legal information and guidance relating to collective employee relations.