Managing employees/workers
The Government published a consultation on how the new zero hours contract rights should work in practice, including how guaranteed hours, notice of shifts and compensation for short-notice changes will be enforced. The consultation closes on 25 August 2026.
Enhanced with a new version of the line manager training guide, with information on dealing with team members who go on holiday when annual leave has not been authorised and a roleplay for participants to practise turning down a holiday request.
The Government has opened a consultation on its proposed Employment Rights Act 2025 reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, in which it is seeking views on how the new rights will operate in practice, including eligibility, reference periods and implementation.
Updated to include dates for August 2026 including electronic and workplace balloting for industrial action, Cycle to work day, World breastfeeding week, International lefthanders day, National grief awareness day and Bank holiday.
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.
The Government has pledged to overhaul the "broken" fit note system, beginning with pilots in four different areas. Through the pilots, patients will be offered either an initial fit note from a GP and then referred to community health workers, or the option to be supported by a separate service staffed by clinical and non-clinical practitioners.
Workplace grievances written with the assistance of generative AI are on the rise, increasing the pressure on HR departments and line managers. Katherine Pope offers guidance to help employers deal fairly and efficiently with lengthy, legal citation-rich documents that sometimes obscure rather than reveal the core issues.
In May 2026, Turkey doubled the length of paternity leave from five to 10 days. In France, for children born on or after 1 January 2026, each parent (including mothers) is entitled to two months of supplementary birth leave, available from 1 July 2026.
Updated to include details on the following Commentary and insights: Employment Rights Act 2025 unfair dismissal changes - insights from our webinar, Men at Work - Rethinking Mental Health, Support and Cancel Culture, Reintegration after incarceration - Challenging workplace stigma against ex-offenders, Mindful DEI - Allocating space for compassion during the age of burnout and promote our podcast on trade union reforms.
Use our updated template wording to review and amend your organisation’s contractor privacy notice to reflect new requirements from 19 June 2026 for handling data protection complaints.
HR and legal information and guidance relating to managing employees/workers.