Coming soon

Here we detail selected new and updated resources due to be published.

For further information on upcoming webinars, please visit our webinar hub

New resources

Webinars: Getting probationary periods right as Employment Rights Bill changes loom

Join employment law specialist Darren Newman as he looks at employers' legal obligations and discusses specific scenarios where probationary periods commonly go wrong. Darren will also be looking at what employers can do now to prepare for the changes promised in the Employment Rights Bill.

Register now to secure your spot and ask a question

11am, Thursday 24 July 2025

Commentary and insights: Where do you fit when you're a senior HR professional?

Working in Senior HR roles, it can often feel like you're balancing many hats and navigating an intricate web of relationships and responsibilities. Caroline Green offers guidance on getting the balance right.

July 2025

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.

July 2025

Commentary and insights: Five tricky issues in workplace investigations

Workplace investigations form part of numerous employment processes, including disciplinary matters, grievances and whistleblowers. They may come at times when emotions are running high and can involve consideration of sensitive and difficult issues. Katherine Pope considers five tricky issues when dealing with workplace investigations, and how best to navigate them.

July 2025

Survey analysis and Benchmarking - HR Metrics: Men's health research

For organisations that need help in developing a men's health strategy, this research explores how organisations are working to build a healthier, more supportive work environment for male employees.

July 2025

Survey analysis and benchmarking - HR metrics: HR and line management research 2025

Line managers are the interface between an organisation and its people and play a key role in supporting the HR function. The research explores a variety of topics including line manager recruitment and assessment, as well as how line managers could work better with HR.

July 2025

International country guides: Portugal, South Korea and Malaysia 

We have published nine chapters of our Portugal guide and six chapters of South Korea and Malaysia. The remaining guides will be published throughout the summer. 

August/September 2025

Updated content

Employment Rights Bill - ongoing reaction from Brightmine

Key information

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;
  • changes the collective redundancy consultation threshold to cover the whole organisation, rather than each "establishment" within an organisation;
  • 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.
Resources
  • 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 the published Bill and any supporting documentation or announcements that the Government subsequently releases to bring you the very latest updates and insights.
Status The Employment Rights Bill was published on 10 October 2024 and is now making its way through Parliament. The Government has said that the majority of the reforms will take effect no earlier than 2026. The Government has also said that the removal of the two-year service requirement to claim unfair dismissal will take effect no sooner than autumn 2026.
Expected date

Between now and 2026 - and beyond.

Updates to reflect new right to paternity bereavement leave

Key information

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.

Resources
  • 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. 
Status The Paternity Leave (Bereavement Act) 2024 was passed under the previous Government. Regulations are still required to bring its provisions into force. These regulations will also set out further details necessary for drafting a paternity bereavement leave policy that complies fully with the new right. It's not yet known when these provisions will come into force, but it is likely to be during 2025 
Expected date

To be confirmed.

Updates to reflect the For Women Scotland Supreme Court decision on the meaning of 'woman' and 'sex' in Equality Act

Key information

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.

Resources

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

We have provided the following additional commentary and guidance:

Status The EHRC began a consultation on an updated statutory code of practice for services, public functions and associations on 20 May 2025 (closing date - 30 June 2025). The EHRC is expected to publish the updated statutory code in summer 2025. Employers should bear in mind that this statutory code does not cover employment, although its contents may provide some indication for employers as to the approach to take. It remains to be seen if, and when, the EHRC will update its employment code of practice to reflect the Supreme Court decision. We are keeping track of developments and will provide updates as and when the guidance becomes available. 
Expected date

July 2025