Coming soon

Commentary and insights: From the top down - DEI in leadership

Diversity, equity and inclusion, as a conversation topic, is often discussed within the context of the general workforce instead of in the context of leadership. When it comes to DEI, senior leadership can both lead the charge and hinder the change, depending on the values and principles they embody, says Georgie Williams.

September 2025

Commentary and insights: Workplace monitoring: Striking the balance between oversight and trust

Technology has changed the way we work and the way organisations oversee their people. Hybrid and remote working have increased reliance on digital platforms, and heightened concerns about data security and productivity which have prompted many employers to adopt systems for monitoring staff activity.

September 2025

International country guides: South Korea

We have published six chapters of our South Korea guide. The remaining chapters will be published in late summer. 

September 2025

Podcast: Probationary periods: Employment tribunal round-up

Susie Munro looks at three employment tribunal cases where employers were found to have acted unlawfully when dismissing employees for performance during their probationary periods.

Upcoming webinar: Immigration rules - conducting right to work checks and navigating upcoming changes

As the political focus on immigration intensifies, so too does the Home Office crackdown on illegal working. The first quarter of 2025 saw an 81% increase in civil penalties issued, compared with the same period last year, with fines starting at £45,000 per employee for a first offence and rising to £60,000 for subsequent offences. 

In this webinar, Annabel Mace, partner and head of immigration, and May Cheung, director, from Squire Patton Boggs' business immigration team, will provide essential guidance on conducting right to work checks and common pitfalls. It will also consider how the proposed expansion of right to work checks to cover workers and self-employed contractors will impact employers.

Click here to sign up for this free webinar

Reasonable adjustments for neurodivergent employees: tribunal round-up

We look at three cases where employment tribunals found that employers failed to make reasonable adjustments for neurodivergent employees.

Survey analysis and Benchmarking - HR metrics: Pay forecasts in 2026

The Brightmine research on pay forecasts for 2026 assesses where pay awards are headed for the upcoming year, helping you to benchmark your organisation and inform your pay review planning.

Survey analysis and Benchmarking - HR metrics: Neurodiversity research

Organisations have so much to gain from tapping into the unique talent and skills offered by neurodivergent individuals to drive successful organisational performance. This research explores organisational culture, practice and policy with regards to neurodivergent employees.

Survey analysis and Benchmarking - HR metrics: HR departments research

Our annual HR departments report examines how HR teams are operating, their priorities for 2026, and how the function is evolving to meet changing organisational needs.

The wide-ranging Employment Rights Bill paves the way for the biggest upheaval in employment law for many decades. Among other things, the Bill:

• removes the two-year service requirement to claim unfair dismissal;
• makes "fire and rehire" dismissals without evidence of financial difficulties automatically unfair;
• extends the requirement for collective redundancy consultation, so the relevant number of employees is no longer to be calculated only at site/workplace level;
• introduces a right for trade unions to request access to workplaces and requires employers to notify new hires of the right to join a union;
• expands protection against dismissal for pregnant employees and individuals who are on, or have recently returned from, family-related leave;
• makes statutory paternity leave and ordinary parental leave day-one employment rights;
• makes entitlement and procedural changes to statutory sick pay;
• entitles zero and low hours workers to stable contractual arrangements;
• widens the statutory right to bereavement leave beyond bereaved parents to all employees;
• requires large employers to publish gender pay gap and menopause action plans;
• introduces stronger workplace harassment laws; and
• reforms the right to request flexible working.

• Ongoing commentary and insights from the Brightmine team: Our team of experienced HR and employment law experts is continuing to sift through the fine detail of each version of the Bill as it progresses through Parliament and any supporting documentation or announcements that the Government subsequently releases to bring you the very latest updates and insights.

• Look out for many new and updated resources from Brightmine: The Employment Rights Bill provides the framework for multiple employment law changes - much of the detail is still being worked out. As the Government releases more details about these changes, the Brightmine team will be formulating our plans to bring you the very best resources, including: model HR policies and contract clauses; model letters and forms; line manager training guides; surveys/benchmarking; podcasts and webinars; and much, much more.
• Check out existing resources from Brightmine: In the meantime, key resources include our Legal timetable; On your radar - Employment Rights Bill updates and HR mythbusting; and Employment Rights Bill implementation roadmap: Key dates for HR.

In 2026 and 2027 - and beyond.

The Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act 2024 will allow an employee to take paternity leave as a day-one right where a mother, or a person with whom a child is placed or expected to be placed for adoption, dies.

• New paternity bereavement leave policy explaining the rights of employees to paternity bereavement leave.

• Suite of template letters to help support employers.
• New section in employment law guide on paternity bereavement leave. 

2026

The Supreme Court has ruled that the legal definition of a woman under the Equality Act 2010 is based on biological sex. While Judge Lord Hodge stated "we counsel against reading this judgment as a triumph of one or more groups in our society at the expense of another", employers may have to rethink their policy towards single-sex spaces in the workplace, such as bathrooms and changing rooms.

The following resources have had interim updates in light of the judgment:

• Transgender and non-binary equality policy

• Supporting an employee who is transitioning action plan
• Leading practice guides on Supporting non-binary and transgender employees

We have provided the following additional commentary and guidance:

• The definition of a woman: The legal meaning and practical implications of the Supreme Court ruling
• Supreme Court ruling and EHRC latest: How should HR respond?
• EHRC: Interim update on single-sex spaces draws criticism

Summer 2025