Keeping up with employment law can feel like a job in itself. October 2026 brings several important changes to UK employment law. For small businesses, understanding the practical impact and updating processes, before the new rules take effect, will be key to remaining compliant and competitive. This blog provides a straightforward guide to what is changing and what your business can do to prepare. Right to Work checks will reach beyond employees From 1st October 2026, Righ

Unfair Dismissal Changes Are Coming – Is Your Business Ready? The upcoming changes are set to be one of the most significant employment law developments in recent years and many employers may be underestimating the impact. From January 2027, employees will be able to bring an unfair dismissal claim after just six months' service, compared to the current two-year qualifying period. This means employers will have far less time to assess performance, address concerns and make d

Royal Assent was given to the Employment Rights Act 2025 on December 18 th 2025. This Act, hailed as the biggest overhaul of employee rights in a generation, forms one of the cornerstones of the Governments economic strategy to ‘make work pay’. Critics have pointed out that increased financial burdens to businesses, coupled with higher compliance costs and tighter bureaucracy, may inhibit growth and have unintended consequences to the labour market. So what does the Employ

Labour promised a comprehensive agenda of employment reform going into the July 2024 election in its plan to “Make Work Pay”. Following...

Hummingbird HR Services offers new and prospective clients a HR Healthcheck as part of its initial consultation service. This is a great...

Having worked in a Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) for many years, I know that resources are scarcer than in a larger corporate...