Our newsletter is a quick read this month, reflecting limited legislative activity. It was a surprise that the King's Speech didn't include a Bill on ethnicity and disability pay reporting. The EHRC's revised Code of Practice...more
As part of its “Plan to Make Work Pay,” the UK Government pledged to introduce mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting for large employers via a draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill. A public consultation...more
The UK government published its response to last year's consultation on mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting. This confirms that the duty will apply to employers with 250 or more employees and take a similar...more
Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, employers with 250 or more employees will need to prepare equality action plans alongside gender pay gap reports. Action plans are voluntary for gender pay gap reports due in April 2027...more
This is the second in our series of Employment Rights Act 2025 reference tables. This instalment covers the key changes to equality law and family-friendly rights. As you will see in UK Employment Rights Act 2025:...more
In this edition, we provide an update on the current status of the Employment Rights Bill, marking one year since its introduction to Parliament. We also examine the government’s proposals to broaden pay gap reporting under...more
Although summer seems a distant memory, developments since our last newsletter included EHRC enforcement activity on sexual harassment, government guidance on neonatal care leave and pay, and a Competition and Markets...more
5 developments to read for May in less than 5 minutes - In the Middle East, steps towards further localisation of workforces continue with a new law in Bahrain requiring half of the workforce in privatised state services to...more
This week, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) commenced consultation on updates to its Code of Practice in light of the UK Supreme Court’s ruling that the terms “woman”, “man” and “sex” in the Equality Act refer...more
Our employment law update for April covers the Supreme Court decision the correct definition of “sex” and “woman” in the Equality Act and a Court of Appeal decision providing guidelines on gross misconduct dismissals....more
Rather than our usual Two Minute Monthly employment law round-up, we are posting for March 2025 a blog by Partner Katherine Pope on the nature and purpose of risk assessments in complying with the sexual harassment...more
The UK Court of Appeal (CA) has handed down its judgment in the case of Higgs v. Famor’s School, adding to the growing body of case law that examines the complex issue of balancing employees’ freedom to express potentially...more
Happy New Year! In our first monthly alert for 2025, we report on whether comments on an employee’s accent are unlawful harassment, on ‘gig economy’ worker rights – plus guidance on employers’ duties to prevent sexual...more
The way in which businesses address workplace conduct matters has undergone significant transformation in recent years, particularly pertaining to sexual harassment. This cultural shift originates from changes in broader...more
Employers in England, Scotland and Wales are now required to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their employees in the course of their employment. New legislation, the Worker Protection (Amendment of...more
A new duty came into force on 26 October 2024 requiring UK employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of employees in the course of their employment under the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act...more
The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2020) Act 2023 comes into force on 26 October 2024, introducing a new legal obligation on UK employers to take ‘reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment at work. In this...more
The UK employment law landscape is rapidly changing following the election of the Labour government. New legislation coming into force on 26 October 2024 that tackles sexual harassment in the workplace and the recently...more
Beginning 26 October 2024, employers in England, Scotland, and Wales will be under a new obligation to take “reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of workers in the course of their employment. Details regarding this...more
The new legal duty in the UK to prevent sexual harassment is ‘designed to transform workplace cultures’, according to guidance published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission....more
After a slightly extended summer break, we return with a summary of the new sexual harassment rules due to come into force in just over two weeks....more
A new duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent the sexual harassment of their employees takes effect on 26 October 2024. The Current Rules - While an employer can be vicariously liable for harassment...more
The Worker Protection Act (amendment of Equality Act 2010) – entering into force on 26 October 2024 – will impose a legal obligation on all employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. ...more
The United Kingdom’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) recently named several organisations that missed the deadline to report their 2023–2024 gender pay gap data. If the data remains unreported, the EHRC will take...more
Back in June, we highlighted that, from October 26, 2024, all employers in the UK will have a mandatory duty to take “reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of their employees in the course of their employment. We...more