You can’t hurry love, and you can’t hurry an employment rights bill either

In this, the third and final draft of this paragraph, I can confirm that the ERB has been agreed and will receive Royal Assent on 18 December 2025. I think I speak for us all when I say thank goodness, as there’s only so much of this interminable ping pong game between the Houses of Lords and Commons we can bear. 

But now the ‘fun’ really starts; two years of new legislation coming into force for employers.  Legislation that, in some cases, is currently lacking detail and makes no practical sense. But for now, let’s celebrate the certainty of the Bill being law and leave the implementation until 2026!   Keep an eye on our updates and hub here.  

Don’t leave me this way, qualification period for unfair dismissal 

What a long autumn it’s been – at the start, the removal of the qualification period for unfair dismissal was a done deal.  How naïve we were.  We end the year with a six-month qualification period (from 1 January 2027) and a removal of the cap for compensation payments (no date yet)! Read our latest update, but also watch out for developments in the pre-Christmas parliamentary rush. 

Don’t know much about history... Don’t know much biology… but it matters says the Supreme Court 

In April, the contentious For Women Scotland case was published – our blog covered the main issues.  The decision confirmed that, for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010, sex means biological sex and so a woman or a man under the EqA refers to their biological sex assigned at birth.  We are still understanding its impact and recent cases published in the last month demonstrate that the Supreme Court’s decision can be interpreted in various ways.  Do read our recent blogs on whether a trans gender employee has the protected characteristic of gender reassignment for the purposes of the EqA here and whether a toilet access policy based on asserted gender is lawful here.   

I believe in miracles… but the Court of Appeal warns about how I manifest that belief

The long-running Higgs v Farmor School decision was published in February. The judgment concluded that the school had discriminated against Ms Higgs when it dismissed her for her posts on Facebook.  It was good to read some guidance from the Court as to when and how an employer may place any limits on an employee’s right to manifest their belief. Our blog is here but we await further cases in 2026 on this ‘competing rights’ issue, so again, look out for further cases. 

Words don’t come easy… ACAS conciliation period is extended 

From 1 December this year, behind the first Advent window was the extension of the ACAS early conciliation window from 6 weeks to 12 weeks. Good news, as it may leave time for more settlements and so reduce the backlog in claims at tribunal but also bad news as ACAS is already struggling to engage with the current timeframe and this could lead to further delays. On balance, maybe a Lindt chocolate behind door #1 would have been preferable for employers? 

It may be another brick in the wall… but more education for housing managers  

This was the publication on 30 September of the Government’s response to the consultation on the Competence and Conduct Standard for Social Housing, which requires the regulator of social housing to introduce a competence and conduct standard for social housing providers. In plainer English, from October 2026, senior housing managers and senior housing executives will need certain qualifications if they are to continue in their jobs. A laudable aim but a potentially expensive one for providers who have staff in those roles who don’t have the requisite qualifications. Our blog provides details and analysis. 

It’s no (pension salary) sacrifice at all (when over £2,000) 

The chancellor’s autumn budget ushered in this classic track – any salary sacrifices into a pension of over £2,000 will now attract both employer and employee national insurance contributions.  Great tips and advice in our blog here.   

Driving home for Christmas… but is it travel time under the NMW?

Remember the poor workers on the poultry farms who could spend hours in the van getting to the farm and still not get paid for it? A good reminder in our blog of the need for NMW compliance, especially in the trickier area of travel time. Chris Rea may have had a few fewer verses in his Christmas classic if he knew his driving home wasn’t ‘time work’ under the NMW regs! 

From the team at Anthony Collins, we wish you a happy Christmas, a relaxing break from all things employment and hope for 2026.