There are some important changes coming to sexual harassment law in the UK from October 2026, building on the duty introduced in October 2024.

Here’s the simple version 👇

1. “All reasonable steps” will be required

Since October 2024, employers have had a duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment at work.

From October 2026, that becomes “all reasonable steps” — raising the bar for what employers are expected to do to prevent harassment from happening in the first place.

2. Third-party harassment could come back into the picture

Employers will be liable for sexual harassment of their employees by third parties, such as customers, clients or other people they interact with through work.

So it won't just be about what happens between employees — employers will also need to think about how they protect staff from harassment coming from outside the organisation.

3. Sexual harassment disclosures will get whistleblowing protection

Disclosures about sexual harassment will qualify as protected disclosures under whistleblowing legislation, giving workers additional protection when raising concerns.

Overall, the direction of travel is pretty clear: more emphasis on prevention, stronger protections for employees, and greater responsibility for employers.

For more information sign up to our webinar

Workplace recognition can take a lot of different forms. A bonus or promotion is great, but sometimes it’s something much smaller that sticks with you.

Maybe a manager gave you genuine credit for something you worked hard on, a colleague went out of their way to thank you, or you received an award that actually meant something.

What’s the best or most memorable recognition you’ve received at work?

We've been thinking about the gap between how Health & Safety is understood by H&S professionals and how it’s sometimes viewed by managers.

Things like safety being treated as the responsibility of the H&S person, only getting attention after an incident, or being seen as something that gets in the way of getting the job done.

For those working in Health & Safety, what’s the one thing you wish more managers understood?

Could be something you’ve struggled to get across, a common misconception, or something you’ve seen good managers do differently.

The Fair Work Agency (FWA) — launched in April under the Employment Rights Act 2025 — has officially secured its first conviction and issued its first Labour Market Enforcement Order. A big moment for the UK’s new employment watchdog.

 

Who are the FWA?

The Fair Work Agency was established on 7 April 2025 as part of the Employment Rights Act. It’s an independent body designed to:

• Make it easier for workers to report issues
• Strengthen enforcement of employment rights
• Increase scrutiny of business practices

Think of it as the UK’s new central hub for tackling non‑compliance across the labour market.

 

What happened?

An unlicensed gangmaster was found supplying workers to an abattoir in the Midlands. Under the Gangmasters Licensing Act 2004, anyone supplying labour to sectors like agriculture, horticulture, food processing, or shellfish gathering must hold a valid licence. This protects workers from exploitation and ensures providers meet standards on pay, safety, and welfare.

On 15 July 2026, the individual pled guilty to:

• One count of acting as an unlicensed gangmaster (Section 12, Gangmasters Licensing Act 2004)

They received:

• £1,000 fine
• £400 victim surcharge
• £85 court costs
• 12‑month Labour Market Enforcement Order requiring them to fix their non‑compliance

Failure to comply could lead to further penalties or enforcement action.

 

The FWA also confirmed this wasn’t their first run‑in with regulators:

• 2017: Told they needed a licence
• 2019: Licence revoked by the Gangmasters & Labour Abuse Authority for failing the “fit and proper” test
• Post‑2019: Continued operating without a licence

 

This conviction marks the first time the FWA has taken a case through the courts since its creation.

 

What should businesses take from this?

The FWA isn’t just focused on gangmasters. It will be enforcing a wide range of employment rights, including:

• National Minimum Wage compliance
• Agency worker protections
• Modern slavery‑related breaches
• Statutory sick pay and holiday pay (coming soon)

 

With the Employment Rights Act 2025 now in force, businesses need to understand their new obligations, and the consequences of ignoring them.

 

If you’re unsure where to start, we’ve put together a free guide to help you get up to speed. Check it out here!

It feels like AI has rolled out everywhere.

With businesses integrating tools across multiple processes and departments.

For those already using it, have you noticed the benefits. OR do you feel there have been some challenges? What have you noticed?

For example did you think it would help with a task but in fact, made the task more complicated?

As most business owners know offering staff perks provides an extra layer of comfort, security, and incentive for employees.

From EAP services to subsidised transport and discounts.

However, some small businesses won't always be able to financially offer extravagant perks. But sometimes it's the smaller things that make the most impact. From experience, what small perk had the biggest impact on your team?

We've been comparing management styles. Looking at how each style impacts teams.

Online you often hear about the negative, what went wrong or didn't work. But it would be nice to hear about what works well too!

So we're asking the question, how did your best manager choose to manage? And how did they inspire your current or future management style?

Flexible working is now an established part of many workplaces, particularly as employers must reasonably consider any flexible working requests made by their employees.

Beyond the practical arrangements themselves, how has it changed employee expectations and workplace culture in your organisation?

Positively or negatively?

Are out-of-offices still encouraged in your office, or is it a simple ta, see you later and a wave, as you leave for a week's holiday?

Essentially, the FWA are the government's new body. It was created to bring together several existing enforcement functions into one organisation so workers have a single place to report workplace rights issues and employers have a single enforcement body to deal with.

The FWA is authorised to investigate cases of non-compliance and issue offending employers with fines, enforcement notices, and legal action. Some rules are being enforced by the FWA now, and others will be phased in over time. So, it is important for business owners to understand how they will operate.

As well as this, the FWA will have the power to bring tribunal claims on behalf of workers who can't or do not want tp. They could also provide support, assistance, and representation to workers raising their own claims. If tribunal claims it supports are successful, they will also have the power to recover costs from businesses.

As support becomes more accessible to employees, we will likely see an increase in tribunal claims. So to get ahead of this, businesses should review their policies and practices to ensure compliance and reduce the chances of claims being made against them.

The best way to prepare is to ensure you are compliant with the new ERA 2025 and have correct policies and procedures in place. 

For more info check out our handy checklist!

 

The government has released some pretty crazy stats on the current unemployment rates in young workers. 

In January to March 2026:

There were 729,000 young people aged 16 to 24 who were unemployed, 110,000 more than the previous year. The unemployment rate for young people was 16.2%, up from 14.2% from the year before.

Curious to know what your opinions are on what is driving this and how businesses can better support this group. 

Watch BrightHR's Gemma O'Connor discuss AI for writing HR policies

Our HR team recently tested AI tools to draft common workplace policies.

The results were better than expected for creating a first draft, but there were some significant issues around legal accuracy, business-specific wording and consistency.

Curious how others are approaching this:

Are you comfortable using AI to draft HR policies, or do you see it purely as a starting point?

Hear from our HR expert Gemma O'Connor on AI in HR

Want to book some leave from work but don't know how?

Here's a rundown for BrightHR customers using our award-winning staff holiday planner:

Step 1:

First, make sure you are logged into your employee profile - https://login.brighthr.com/login/

Step 2:

Head to your employee profile. On the main dashboard you will see a request time off button. Hit this!

Step 3:

- Choose your absence type. There are a variety of options available. Pick the right one for your situation.

- Select your start and end dates and times. You can book a half day, full day or select a custom period of time.

- Add any notes that your manager may find useful for approving your leave. For example "Taking annual leave for a family event."

- Hit the request absence button.

Step 4:

Your manager will now be instantly notified that you have made this request and they will approve or decline your absence.

You will receive a notification in BrightHR once your absence has been approved!

And there we have it! Four easy steps that make booking leave with BrightHR so simple.

And if you haven't already, don't forget to download the app:

Apple - https://apps.apple.com/gb/developer/brighthr/id1031619348

Google - https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=BrightHR

Just a heads-up for anyone following the upcoming unfair dismissal law changes.

Nothing officially changes until 1 January 2027, but businesses are already starting to review how they manage hiring, probation periods, and dismissal procedures ahead of time.

For employers, it’s mainly about making sure processes are clear, fair, and properly documented from the start of employment rather than waiting until issues arise later on.

Some of the areas businesses are looking at include:

• Reviewing probation periods and check-in processes
• Making sure managers are trained on fair procedures
• Keeping clearer records of performance discussions and expectations
• Improving recruitment processes to help avoid mismatched hires

One important point is that the qualifying period for unfair dismissal protection is set to be reduced, meaning employees will gain those rights earlier in their employment than they currently do.

There are also proposals for compensation limits to change, which is why many businesses are taking time now to review policies and procedures before the new rules come into effect.

For employees, the changes are intended to strengthen workplace protections and encourage fairer processes around dismissal decisions.

At this stage, there’s still time for businesses and workers alike to understand the changes and prepare for what they could mean in practice.

At BrightHR we're asking:

Have you considered what these could mean for you and are you doing anything to update processes? Let us know!

We were discussing this internally today and got curious what others in HR think:

What’s one piece of advice you’d give someone just starting their career in HR?

Could be something you wish someone told you earlier, a mistake to avoid, or a skill that ended up mattering more than expected.

Hi Redditors 👋 April 2026 is Stress Awareness Month with the theme of #BeTheChange

So, we thought it would be the perfect time to discuss how to spot signs of stress in the workplace and how you can #BeTheChange as a team lead, employer or fellow colleague!

Signs of stress may include:

• Increased rates of lateness and/or absence
• Drops in performance or productivity
• Changes in mood and behaviour
• Working longer hours
• Skipping breaks
• Avoiding social gatherings with colleagues
• Reduced contributions in meetings

As a manager do any of the above signs sound familiar?

A few obvious ways to address feelings of stress include better sleep management, daily movement, talking with friends and family.

Employers though, can offer additional support such as access to an EAP service for mental health support or setting up workplace activities to help employees de-stress or take a breather.

Make it personal and supportive

Holding one to one meetings is also a great way to make contact with an employee if you are concerned. Just checking in every now and then gives them a chance to open up and perhaps address the root cause.

Let your employee know you’ve noticed a change, and ask open-ended and supportive questions. Sometimes all it takes is for someone to show concern and acknowledge stress to make things seem brighter. And don’t forget, if you implement any changes, check in after a week or so and see what’s working.

Lead by example

Set a good example and show your teams that they should take time to recharge. And take a look at workloads, tasks, and deadlines as a whole. If there’s always a lunchtime rush, one night where everyone stays late, or where deadlines consistently go over, it might be time to review working patterns.

Make sure your employees are taking their breaks and if they don't, be sure to remind them of their entitlements.

How do you support employees when they are feeling stressed? Let us know!

St Patrick’s Day is coming up and whether you're a Guinness fan or not, it's a big celebration for a lot of people. ☘️ 

From an HR perspective though, it can raise a few practical questions, especially for companies with teams across the UK and Ireland. 

Since it’s not a UK bank holiday (except in Northern Ireland), businesses with offices in England, Scotland or Wales might find employees asking about time off, particularly if they’re Irish or want to travel home to celebrate. 

One option some organisations consider is holiday swapping, where employees can exchange a bank holiday for another cultural or personal holiday. 

For HR teams that have dealt with this before, a few things seem to help: 

1. Clear holiday swap policies 
Some companies allow employees to swap certain bank holidays for cultural or religious ones, which can give people more flexibility. 

2. Consistency across locations 
If different offices observe different holidays, it can help to explain clearly how this works across teams. 

3. Planning ahead 
Encouraging employees to request swaps or leave early helps avoid operational issues. 

4. Keeping policies inclusive 
Flexible approaches can support employees who celebrate different cultural or national holidays. 

Curious how other UK HR teams approach this. 

Do most people just take annual leave for things like St Patrick’s Day, or have you seen holiday swapping become more common?