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13 February 2026
Issue: 8149 / Categories: Legal News , Employment , Tribunals , Disciplinary&grievance procedures , Costs
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NLJ this week: Volunteers, promotions & perilous appeals

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Employment law is shifting at the margins. In his latest Employment Law Brief for NLJ this week, Ian Smith of Norwich Law School examines a Court of Appeal ruling confirming that volunteers are not a special legal species and may qualify as ‘workers’

On capability dismissals, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has clarified that employees must be judged by the work they were contractually employed to do—not what they might do if promoted. That casts doubt on ‘up or elsewhere’ models.

Meanwhile, a flexible approach to misconduct investigations endures—employers need not run a ‘Police force’ or a ‘Crown Court’ . And passing the EAT sift offers no shield from costs: ‘simply because a matter has been argued for some time does not mean that it was arguable’.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Weightmans—Jason Slatcher

Weightmans—Jason Slatcher

Weightmans appoint new Chief Technology Officer

Mishcon de Reya—trainees

Mishcon de Reya—trainees

Mishcon de Reya announces trainee retention rate of 86%

Sackers—Charlotte Adams & Fraser Sutton

Sackers—Charlotte Adams & Fraser Sutton

Sackers welcomes two new Graduate Solicitor Apprentices

NEWS
LexisNexis will mark the 80th anniversary of Shawcross and Beaumont on Air Law with a live podcast exploring the evolution of aviation law from the Chicago Convention to the challenges facing modern aerospace, taking place on Tuesday 29 September
Harmony Christian Ministries is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
Indemnity costs remain exceptional, but parties cannot ignore a case that deteriorates around them. In Lawrence v Associated Newspapers, Mr Justice Nicklin ordered the claimants to pay indemnity costs after finding their conduct, viewed cumulatively, fell ‘well outside the norm’
Public law is in flux following reversals and robust appellate intervention, according to the latest public law update by the team at HSFK for NLJ
Neurotechnology is turning the human mind into an operational domain, exposing gaps in the laws of war
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