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NLJ this week: The road ahead for employment rights

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Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ

After a quiet committee stage, the report stage saw major amendments on non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), bereavement leave, fire-and-rehire protections, and zero-hours contracts. New rules will void NDAs that suppress disclosures of harassment or discrimination, and extend bereavement leave to early pregnancy loss. Fire-and-rehire measures now target ‘restricted variations’ and plug loopholes around agency replacements.

The Bill also introduces rights for zero-hours workers, though implementation is staggered: key reforms begin in April 2026, with day-one unfair dismissal rights deferred to 2027.

Pigott warns that the ‘ping-pong’ stage may delay Royal Assent, but the government’s roadmap outlines phased consultations and rollouts. The Bill marks a significant shift in UK employment law, but its full impact may take years to unfold.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Lawyers can no longer afford to ignore the metaverse, says Jacqueline Watts of Allin1 Advisory in this week's NLJ. Far from being a passing tech fad, virtual platforms like Roblox host thriving economies and social interactions, raising real legal issues
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
The Court of Protection has ruled in Macpherson v Sunderland City Council that capacity must be presumed unless clearly rebutted. In this week's NLJ, Sam Karim KC and Sophie Hurst of Kings Chambers dissect the judgment and set out practical guidance for advisers faced with issues relating to retrospective capacity and/or assessments without an examination
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