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15 May 2026 / Ian Smith
Issue: 8161 / Categories: Features , Employment , Tribunals , Insurance / reinsurance
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Employment law brief: 15 May 2026

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How many employment lawyers can dance on the head of a pin? Ian Smith weighs up the latest cases & celebrates the calm before the storm
  • Recent employment law cases have included a significant ruling that conditional job offers may create binding contracts where conditions are ‘subsequent’ rather than ‘precedent’, meaning employers may still owe notice or damages if they later withdraw an offer.
  • They also include employee benefits and redundancy consultation obligations, confirming that PHI (permanent health insurance) payments can remain enforceable after dismissal, PIP benefits may be deducted from compensation awards to avoid double recovery, and that collective redundancy consultation duties can arise even where redundancies are only contingently proposed.

After the shot and shell of the April commencements for the Employment Rights Act 2025 and the various uprating orders, it is nice to get back to the relative sanity of some good old common/contract laws concepts as they apply to employment matters (though even now the next tranche of statutory commencements are being

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

mfg Solicitors—Hannah Finnegan

mfg Solicitors—Hannah Finnegan

Law firm strengthens private client team to support continued growth

Devonshires—Andrew Cromb

Devonshires—Andrew Cromb

Devonshires expands offering with appointment of tax partner Andrew Cromb

Freeths—John Jones

Freeths—John Jones

Freeths strengthens senior leadership team with Chief Technology Officer appointment

NEWS
Mr Justice Nicklin’s decision to order costs on an indemnity basis may be a ‘significant win’ but it’s still ‘far from game, set and match’ for Associated Newspapers, a former costs judge has said
The Law Society RFC Festival of Sport returns next month, bringing together legal and financial services professionals for one of the sector’s largest annual sporting events
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners
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