Thank you to everyone who joined us at One Station Hill on Thursday 22 January. It was a pleasure to welcome so many HR professionals, business leaders and advisers for what proved to be a lively and thought‑provoking morning.
Led by Employment Partner, Ian Machray, the session explored the wide‑ranging employment law reforms expected between 2026 and 2027, with interactive voting, table discussions and practical takeaways throughout.
Key themes and highlights
The seminar focused on the scale and pace of change facing employers, with particular attention on the following areas:
Unfair dismissal reform
Attendees discussed the government’s revised proposals, including:
- A reduction in the qualifying period to six months
- The removal of the statutory compensation cap
- The likely impact on senior exits, settlement negotiations and risk management
These changes prompted lively debate around probation processes, performance management and early‑stage dismissals.
Redundancy and fire‑and‑rehire
We explored proposed changes to:
- Collective consultation thresholds and counting rules
- Increased financial penalties for failure to consult
- The forthcoming restrictions on “fire and rehire”, including what constitutes a “restricted variation”
The session highlighted the need for careful planning, robust consultation and well‑drafted contracts.
Family leave, flexible working and leave rights
Significant updates were covered, including:
- Day‑one rights for paternity and parental leave
- Changes to statutory sick pay from April 2026
- Stronger obligations on employers when refusing flexible working requests
These reforms reinforce the importance of consistent policies and manager training.
Harassment and discrimination
A key area of focus was the shift to an “all reasonable steps” duty to prevent harassment, alongside:
- Expanded protection against third‑party harassment
- New whistleblowing status for sexual harassment complaints
- Proposed restrictions on NDAs
Delegates discussed the practical steps employers should take now, including risk assessments, training and reporting mechanisms.
Zero‑hours contracts, shift work and trade unions
Looking ahead to 2027, we examined:
- Duties to offer guaranteed hours
- New rights for shift workers around notice and cancelled shifts
- A significant strengthening of trade union access and recognition rights
These developments signal a more regulated and enforcement‑led landscape for employers.
Practical takeaways
Throughout the session, delegates were encouraged to focus on preparation, not just compliance. Key action points included:
- Reviewing recruitment, probation and performance processes
- Updating contracts, policies and settlement agreements
- Training managers ahead of the changes
- Auditing risk areas such as third‑party relationships and workforce structures
Thank you
We would like to thank everyone who attended, contributed to discussions and shared their experiences. Your engagement made the session both informative and practical.
We were sorry to miss those who couldn’t join us on the day and hope the above offers a useful summary of what was covered. We’ve also recorded a webinar highlighting the key takeaways, which you can watch here:
Upcoming events/training packages
Our first HR Forum event of 2026 – Tuesday 10th March, please save the date, further details will be circulated soon.
Tuesday 17th March – Settlement Agreements: When, Why and How? Presented by David Clay, this is a virtual event, further details and the link to register will be circulated in due course.
To support employers in meeting the mandatory requirements to take proactive steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, our team has developed a range of fixed‑fee services and training packages. You can find full the full details here.
If you have any questions following the briefing or would like tailored advice on how these changes may affect your organisation, please do get in touch with Ian Machray: [email protected]. We also encourage you to subscribe to our mailing list where we share legal updates and details of our upcoming in-person and virtual events. You can sign-up here.
We look forward to welcoming you to a future event soon.
