On Thursday 29 January 2026, Field Seymour Parkes (FSP) delivered a focused and practical webinar on UK employment law, presented by Employment Partner, Ian Machray. The session formed part of a wider international webinar series with our international network, Global Advocaten and was aimed at supporting HR and legal teams here in the UK as well as across member firms and their global clients and contacts.
Global Advocaten is an alliance of trusted, independent law firms spanning four continents and 35 countries, with more than 3,000 lawyers collaborating worldwide. Through this network, FSP provides seamless cross‑border support and a single point of contact for our international clients.
The webinar provided a practical, structured overview of the current UK employment law landscape, touching on everything from the foundations of the legal system to upcoming legislative changes. You can watch the recording of the session in full, below.
A recap of the main points covered in this session are as follows:
Understanding the UK Employment Law Framework
Ian provided a clear overview of the key sources of UK employment law, including legislation, case law and EU‑derived rules that continue to apply.
Post‑Brexit Landscape
The session outlined which EU‑based protections remain in force—such as working time, TUPE and equality law and where the UK has begun to diverge, particularly around holiday pay and record‑keeping requirements
Bringing Talent Into the UK
Attendees were guided through the main visa categories, from the Skilled Worker route to Global Business Mobility, along with the importance of compliant right‑to‑work checks.
Employment Status & Starting Work
The webinar explained the distinctions between employees, workers and the self‑employed, and highlighted essential contractual terms and core HR policies needed at the outset of employment.
Day‑to‑Day Employment Rights
Key statutory rights were summarised, including working time, family‑friendly rights and discrimination protections across the nine protected characteristics.
Ending Employment
Ian covered fair reasons for dismissal, misconduct and capability processes, redundancy requirements, and the role of Acas and tribunals in resolving disputes.
Upcoming Legal Changes
Attendees were briefed on major reforms coming between 2026–27, including day‑one rights for certain family leave, strengthened harassment duties, fire‑and‑rehire regulation and a reduced unfair dismissal qualifying period from January 2027.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this session, we are proud to take part in this series and to share UK employment law insights with our clients and contacts who manage UK‑based employees, HR professionals who are new to UK employment law and member firms across the network along with their legal teams, clients and wider contacts.
The webinar offers a high‑level overview only, bespoke advice is essential for complex or multi‑jurisdictional employment issues. For further support, please contact Ian Machray at: [email protected] / +44 (0)791 932 8122.
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** Please note this is a recording of a live webinar **
The data contained in this presentation is for general information only and was recorded on 29 January 2026. The law and practice changes from time to time. This presentation is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Professional legal advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this presentation.
