Employer NI Changes from April 2026
Two separate National Insurance developments were confirmed in early 2026 and are relevant for employers, HR teams and anyone with responsibility for payroll and reward structures. The first is the annual re-rating of National Insurance contributions, which takes effect from April 2026 and applies to day-to-day NIC calculations. The second is a reform to pension […]
Zero-Hours Working Rules 2026: What HR Teams Need to Know
The Employment Rights Act 2025 has started to bite earlier than many HR teams expected. One of the first changes to take effect, from 6 January 2026, directly affects how zero-hours working is structured, managed and policed inside organisations. For HR professionals, this is not simply a contract update exercise. It is a shift in […]
Preparing for April 2026: ERA 2025 Changes
The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces a phased programme of reform, but April 2026 is the point at which HR teams begin to feel the operational impact most directly. While later changes, including reforms to unfair dismissal qualifying service, have attracted political attention, the April 2026 measures reshape how absence, enforcement, consultation, leave and employee […]
UK Settlement Shake-Up: Implications for HR & Employers
The Home Secretary has launched a formal consultation on a new earned settlement system for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK. The consultation proposes moving away from the familiar five-year route to ILR for most workers and their families and replacing it with a ten-year default that can be shortened or lengthened depending on […]
UK Asylum Reforms Published
The Home Office has released details of asylum reforms, outlining the government’s plan to restructure how the UK manages asylum, refugee protection and post-decision enforcement. UK Asylum Reforms The changes replace the current long-term, relatively predictable framework with one built around shorter grants of leave, regular reassessment, conditional support and faster removal processes. […]
UK Immigration Reforms 2025: What HR Needs to Know
The Home Office has confirmed a new wave of immigration reforms in its latest Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules (HC 1333), published on 14 October 2025. These reforms form part of the government’s Plan for Change and will affect how employers, HR teams and recruiters manage international hiring, compliance and workforce planning from […]
Leveraging the Permitted Paid Engagement Visa
In an increasingly global talent marketplace, HR leaders must navigate complex immigration rules while maximising organisational flexibility. The UK’s Permitted Paid Engagement (PPE) Visitor Visa offers a useful — and often underutilised — route for inviting international professionals for short-term, paid work without the administrative burdens of sponsorship. This article explores the visa’s strategic benefits […]
Expansion of the Right to Work Scheme to Gig Economy
The government has introduced a new clause to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill that would significantly broaden the scope of the UK’s right to work regime. Under the proposed changes, right to work checks would be required not just for employees, but also for individuals engaged through non-traditional contracts, such as so-called gig […]
Recent Changes in Employment Law 2025
As we start the new year, the following is a round up of the key recent changes in employment law for employers, as well as a reminder of important upcoming changes. UK Minimum Wage to increase in April 2025 Each year, the government sets minimum wage rates based on the recommendations of the […]
Consultation Opens into TUPE and European Works Councils
The UK Government has launched a consultation regarding proposed amendments to the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE) and on plans to dismantle the legal framework governing European Works Councils. Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE) The Government proposes to clarify the scope of TUPE, limiting the […]