Health and safety

New and updated

• Date:

  1 June 2026

  Type:

  Commentary and insights

  Summer 2026: Eight potential issues for HR

  HR professionals in the UK face some unique challenges and employment issues in the summer of 2026. These include increased uncertainty over workers' annual leave plans because of world events; public transport disruption leading to attendance issues; and a heatwave meaning that employers should monitor workplace temperatures to ensure that they do not become unreasonable. It is also a World Cup year, which brings its own specific problems around absence, holiday and conduct.

• Type:

  Employment law guide

  Specific health and safety hazards: mental health and wellbeing

  This guide rounds up the measures needed to protect employees exposed to specific mental health and wellbeing hazards. The guide covers: sexual harassment; smoking; and stress.

• Type:

  Employment law guide

  Specific health and safety hazards: machinery and equipment

  This guide rounds up the measures needed to protect employees exposed to specific machinery and equipment hazards. The guide covers: display screen equipment; lifting operations and lifting equipment; and work equipment.

• Type:

  Employment law guide

  Specific health and safety hazards: physical and environmental

  This guide rounds up the measures needed to protect employees exposed to specific physical and environmental hazards. The guide covers: asbestos; construction work; coronavirus (COVID-19); electricity; fire; legionella; manual handling; noise; slips, trips and falls; substances hazardous to health; temperature; vibration; violence aggression at work; and work at height.

• Type:

  Employment law guide

  Incident response

  The HSE has published a consultation on proposals for the reform of RIDDOR, the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations. The HSE is inviting responses from, in particular, duty holders and those in control of work premises, across all sectors and industries. The consultation closes on 30 June 2026.

• Type:

  Quick reference

  Record-keeping - statutory requirements

  From 6 April 2026, employers must keep records that are “adequate” to show compliance with statutory annual leave and holiday pay entitlements, including carried-over leave. 

• Date:

  3 March 2026

  Type:

  Commentary and insights

  Employees stranded abroad: Five issues for employers

  The cancellation of thousands of flights and the closure of airspace in the Middle East are having an impact on the workplace, particularly when employees are left stranded or their holiday plans are affected. How should employers tackle workplace issues arising from the flight disruptions caused by the US and Israel's war with Iran?

• Type:

  Employment law guide

  General health and safety duties

  Updated to reflect that the Employment Rights Bill received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025.

• Type:

  Editor's choice

  Tracking our Northern Ireland and Scotland updates is now easier

  We have launched two new topics covering Northern Irish employment law and Scottish employment law, to help our users with locations there to keep track of any differences in legislation.

• Type:

  Employment law guide

  Scotland: health and safety

  This guide sets out the differences between the law on health and safety in Scotland compared with the rest of Great Britain (England and Wales).