Employment Law Review
Thompsons’ Employment Law Review is recognised as an authoritative source of comment and discussion from our trade union law specialists. Available to read here, and also via a weekly email bulletin, the Employment Law Review offers considerable insight into the latest issues affecting trade unions and their members.
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Latest Issues
Weekly Issue 919
- Government publishes response to Consultation on Trade Union Access and lays draft Regulations and Code of Practice before Parliament
- Did a clause requiring an employee to pay back the training fee amount to a restraint of trade?
- Government launches review of the employment rights of unpaid carers almost three years after the Carers Leave Act was passed.
Weekly Issue 918
- How should the Acas uplift be applied in high value discrimination cases?
- The Government responds to the consultation on setting up the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSNB) and sets out its proposal as to who will be in scope.
Weekly Issue 917
- Burger v Risk Solutions BG Ltd & JD Wetherspoon plc – Is a pub operator vicariously liable for the actions of door staff supplied by an independent security contractor?
- Make Work Pay: draft code of practice on electronic and workplace balloting for statutory union ballots
Trade union information
Weekly Issue 919
Government publishes response to Consultation on Trade Union Access and lays draft Regulations and Code of Practice before Parliament
Discover how the Government’s updated trade union workplace access code strengthens workers’ rights, improves union access and supports fair representation at work.
Employment rights
Weekly Issue 919
Did a clause requiring an employee to pay back the training fee amount to a restraint of trade?
The Court of Appeal has ruled that a training repayment clause requiring an employee to repay £8,108 on leaving employment was an unenforceable restraint of trade, with important implications for employers and trade unions.
Employment rights
Weekly Issue 919
Government launches review of the employment rights of unpaid carers almost three years after the Carers Leave Act was passed.
The government has launched a consultation on carers’ leave and support for parents of seriously ill children, exploring potential reforms including paid carers’ leave, extended leave entitlements and stronger workplace rights.
Unfair dismissal
Weekly Issue 918
How should the Acas uplift be applied in high value discrimination cases?
Employment Appeal Tribunal confirms that tribunals may consider the overall size of a compensation award when applying an Acas uplift and have discretion in addressing tax gross-up issues in unfair dismissal and disability discrimination claims.
Employment rights
Weekly Issue 918
The Government responds to the consultation on setting up the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSNB) and sets out its proposal as to who will be in scope.
The Government has confirmed the scope of the new School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB), covering pay, terms and conditions for school support staff in England, while excluding agency workers from sector-wide bargaining arrangements.
Personal Injury
Weekly Issue 917
Burger v Risk Solutions BG Ltd & JD Wetherspoon plc – Is a pub operator vicariously liable for the actions of door staff supplied by an independent security contractor?
A Court of Appeal ruling on vicarious liability, confirming that businesses are not usually responsible for the actions of workers supplied by an independent contractor unless the relationship closely resembles employment.
Industrial Action
Weekly Issue 917
Make Work Pay: draft code of practice on electronic and workplace balloting for statutory union ballots
The government’s consultation on a draft Code of Practice for electronic and workplace trade union ballots could modernise statutory voting processes and increase member participation in industrial action and union elections.
Employment rights
Weekly Issue 916
Leedham v Royal Mail Group Limited - Does a digital online payslip comply with the legal duty on employers to provide a written payslip?
The EAT has ruled that digital-only payslips can comply with the Employment Rights Act 1996. Learn what Leedham v Royal Mail means for employers and the legal risks of electronic pay statements.
Employment tribunals and tribunal fees
Weekly Issue 916
Parliament approves extension of Employment Tribunal time limits to six months
Employment Tribunal time limits will increase from three to six months from 1 October 2026 for a wider range of claims. Learn what the new regulations mean for employers, workers and future tribunal cases.
Equality, discrimination and harassment
Weekly Issue 915
London Ambulance Service NHS Trust v Garrett [2026] EAT 77
EAT overturns belief discrimination ruling in Garrett v London Ambulance Service NHS Trust, confirming disciplinary action for workplace comments was based on conduct, not protected belief.
Equality, discrimination and harassment
Weekly Issue 915
EHRC draft services code laid before Parliament – equality law guidance updated
EHRC draft Services Code laid before Parliament in May 2026 updates Equality Act guidance for services and public bodies, reflecting recent case law on biological sex and discrimination.
Unfair dismissal
Weekly Issue 914
DHL Services Ltd v Ignatowicz [2026] EAT 74
An unfair dismissal case involving social media posts clarifies how tribunals should assess contributory conduct and reinstatement when employees publicly raise grievances online.