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Employment law brief: 17 April 2026

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After too much Easter nibbling, Ian Smith hops through a flurry of legislative activity & case law
  • Legislative developments dominate, with uprated social security benefits, new measures under the Employment Rights Act 2025 and revised Vento bands for injury to feelings awards.
  • Recent case law, though limited in number, delivers key clarifications on whistleblowing motives, the distinction between reason and motive in discrimination, the scope of COT3 settlements, and the increasingly adversarial approach of employment tribunals.

In spring, a young employment lawyer’s fancy turns to… the statutory instruments containing the uprating of social security benefits, the employment protection maxima and the national minimum wages, along with not one but two commencement orders for the Employment Rights Act 2025. To cap this off we have, not Easter bunnies and chocolate eggs, but the employment tribunal (ET) presidential increases of the Vento scales for awards for injury to feelings. A heady mix indeed.

Perhaps to compensate for this frenetic activity on the legislative front,

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Shakespeare Martineau—Marie Bourke

Shakespeare Martineau—Marie Bourke

Shakespeare Martineau strengthens Sheffield regulatory practice with new hires

Sackers—Louise McRae & Annabella Hwang

Sackers—Louise McRae & Annabella Hwang

Sackers recruits new associates

McHale & Co—Shaun Little & Patrick Byrne

McHale & Co—Shaun Little & Patrick Byrne

Firm bolsters senior team with head of corporate and head of employment

NEWS
A wide-ranging Civil Way column highlights developments from insolvency procedure to employment law, but one case stands out for its lessons on bankruptcy, family homes and digital communications
A sprawling Intellectual Property Office battle between House of Fraser and Frasers Property has delivered a masterclass in modern trade mark law
Courts in England and Wales and Singapore are increasingly confronting complex disputes over international child relocation as families become more globally mobile
The government’s long-awaited family law reform consultation could mark a turning point for domestic abuse victims navigating financial remedy proceedings, but significant challenges remain
A new commercial court pilot giving the public access to documents used in hearings, including expert reports, is raising difficult questions about transparency and privacy
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