United Kingdom: Employment and HR

Facing a settlement agreement from your employer can be daunting, whether due to dismissal, redundancy, or workplace disputes.

When key employees with access to proprietary technology and trade secrets depart for competitors, employers face significant risks of confidential information misappropriation. The recent case of Vertical Aerospace Group Ltd v Ngoma demonstrates how imaging orders can preserve critical evidence from devices and cloud accounts, while also revealing the careful balance courts strike between protecting legitimate business interests and respecting employee rights during the disclosure process.

A recent employment tribunal awarded nearly £30,000 to a sponsored care worker who was left without work for almost a year, resulting in the employer's sponsor licence being revoked.

October 2026 will mark a fundamental shift in UK workplace harassment law, significantly raising the stakes for employers and reinforcing a broader move away from reactive complaint handling towards proactive prevention, governance...

The workplace has changed radically in recent years, with the explosion of AI, new business risks and emerging topics generating workplace conflict.

On 20 May 2026, the Government announced several pilot schemes aimed at addressing what it refers to as the “broken” fit note system.

UK pension providers increasingly restrict services for non-UK residents, particularly post-Brexit, leaving expatriates unable to manage investments, access withdrawals, or receive proper tax guidance. Many face automatic portfolio changes and administrative barriers that can significantly impact retirement income, making international pension transfers essential for maintaining control and optimizing long-term returns.

The Pension Schemes Act 2026 introduces reserve powers allowing the UK government to mandate investment allocations for DC master trusts, potentially overriding trustee fiduciary duties. This analysis examines the scaled-back mandation provisions, their relationship to the Mansion House Accord's voluntary commitments, and the safeguards designed to protect trustees while channeling pension assets into unlisted investments and UK markets.

The Financial Reporting Council has finalized guidance on retrospective actuarial confirmations following the Virgin Media decision, while HMRC's latest newsletter announces the withdrawal of Pension Schemes Online and reminds schemes of upcoming deadlines. These developments provide crucial clarity for pension scheme trustees navigating historic alterations and regulatory compliance requirements.

From 1 January 2027, further significant employment law reforms will come into effect, significantly reshaping dismissal rights, compensation exposure, and the use of flexible working arrangements...

New government analysis suggests that planned employment law reforms could significantly increase the number of workplace disputes progressing through Acas early conciliation and into the employment tribunal system, adding further pressure to a structure already facing capacity pressures.

Facing a settlement agreement from your employer can be daunting, whether due to dismissal, redundancy, or workplace disputes.