Essential lessons from 2025’s employment tribunals: What HR needs to know before 2026
With employment tribunal claims having shot up by almost a third in 2025, what lessons should HR take from the firmer lines being drawn? Here, legal expert Nicholas Jones shares five key tribunal trends to help you prepare for the Employment Rights Bill and a shifting legal landscape in 2026.
HRZone’s 2025 most popular reads
Which HR and work issues caught your attention in 2025? It’s time to reveal HRZone’s 12 most popular reads…
Strike action reforms are coming – here’s what HR should really focus on
With the Employment Rights Bill set to make industrial action easier to organise, many employers are bracing for more disputes. But Paul O’Donnell, Managing Director at CMP, argues that the real focus shouldn’t be on process changes – it should be on building a culture of trust, open conversation, and early conflict resolution.
When ‘too slow’ becomes discrimination: What an NHS trainee’s tribunal win teaches HR about inclusion
A recent tribunal ruling has redefined what counts as disability discrimination and reminded organisations that inclusion begins with culture, not compliance. Here, inclusion specialist Atif Choudhury explores how HR can move from reacting to complaints to designing workplaces that prevent them.
Desk-gruntled: Seating arrangement sparks legal repercussions for estate agency Robsons
A recent employment tribunal ruled that a manager’s desk change at estate agency Robson could be reasonably interpreted as a demotion and was in breach of employment law. Legal expert Rhys Wyborn examines where the company went wrong and how other employers can avoid desk dramas escalating into legal action.
Poor relationships: The real cause of growing disability disputes?
In the past year, Acas data shows that disability disputes have risen by 31%. How can HR address this? Paul O’Donnell, Managing Director of CMP, urges employers to look beyond the standard advice and get to the root cause of the issue – poor relationships.
What the Capgemini tribunal teaches us about reasonable adjustments for neurodiverse employees
A recent employment tribunal has highlighted critical gaps in neurodiversity support. When Capgemini failed to implement key recommendations for an ADHD employee, the consequences extended far beyond legal liability. Phil Pepper, Partner at Shakespeare Martineau, explores what this case reveals about creating genuinely inclusive workplaces.
What’s the latest on the Employment Rights Bill?
Following the House of Lords’ Employment Rights Bill review, HR adviser Kate Palmer discusses the Bill’s latest amendments and what updates might mean for UK businesses.
‘Sighing in frustration’ ruled as discrimination at tribunal
With a recent tribunal ruling that sighing is a form of discrimination, HR adviser Kate Palmer explores how employers can better support neurodiverse employees and champion a diverse and inclusive culture.
HR lessons from Dermalogica’s unfair dismissal dilemma
When a tribunal found Dermalogica guilty of unfair dismissal, disability discrimination and breaching part-time workers’ rights, the legal implications were clear. In this expert analysis, employment lawyer Sandeep Leighs, Partner at Shakespeare Martineau, breaks down what went wrong – and what you must do to avoid making the same costly mistakes.
New risk assessment form for sexual harassment
Check that your organisation is maintaining compliance and taking reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of workers. Review this 10-point checklist and make use of the risk assessment form.
Apprentice dismissed after colleague ‘poked finger-sized holes’ in his sandwiches
A culture of ‘banter’ among apprentices at Scania truck depot quickly spiralled into a dismissal and employment tribunal. HR adviser Kate Palmer shares the cautionary tale of the tampered sandwich…
£1 million wake-up call over University of Edinburgh’s grievance failures
After a decade-long dispute, the University of Edinburgh has had to pay out over £1 million to an engineering professor for claims of unfair dismissal. Legal expert Rhys Wyborn examines where the university went wrong, and how businesses must use this as a cautionary tale to review their own grievance procedures.
Progress or PR spin? Gender pay gap 2025 shows it’s still a man’s world, just with better reporting
The results of this year’s gender pay gap report are out, but do the results point to progress or PR spin? HRZone columnist Deborah Hartung believes reporting is a tick-box exercise for most and urges HR to go beyond the bare minimum.
Silent layoffs and how they bite back
The silent layoff is an emerging trend among employers seeking to protect employee morale and brand reputation. But is this secretive redundancy tactic without repercussions? Claire Taylor-Evans of Boyes Turner shares the potential risks of silent layoffs, alongside alternative routes.
The Meta whistleblower fallout: How companies can avoid the same fate
Could your organisation be next to make scandalous headlines? Here, Andrew Loveless of Pecan Partnership shares four preventative measures to help you steer clear of a PR crisis.
What HR needs to know from the Spring Statement
Paul Robbins, Croner-i’s Associate Director of Tax discusses the Spring Statement and the key tax changes that HR professionals need to be aware of.
EU Pay Transparency Directive: Brexit bonus or missed opportunity?
The EU Pay Transparency Directive will not directly impact UK organisations that don’t have EU-based operations. Is this a Brexit bonus or a wasted moment? Justine Woolf of Innecto Rewards Consultancy weighs up the pros and cons.
Government crackdown on illegal workers: Right to work checks
HR adviser Kate Palmer discusses employers’ legal obligation to conduct ‘right to work’ checks and the potential consequences of hiring illegal workers.
Neonatal care leave: What employers need to know right now
With the introduction of neonatal care leave fast approaching, Rhys Wyborn, employment partner at law firm, Shakespeare Martineau, outlines how employers should prepare.