Are your grievance procedures escalating workplace conflict?
Even well-run grievance processes fail when psychological safety is absent, warns employment lawyer Gillian Melville. When procedural rigidity takes precedence over lived experience, employees can feel unheard and more inclined to litigate. As employment tribunal cases rise, HR needs to consider a more nuanced approach to conflict resolution.
The legal risks of AI-driven recruitment and redundancy (and how to govern them properly)
Over half of business leaders regret layoffs made using AI-driven tools. But regret is not the biggest concern here – legal risk is. Carolina Merlin, Compliance Manager of Mauve Group, highlights the dangers of giving too much control to AI in HR decision-making, and why proper governance is essential at every stage of the employee lifecycle.
Whistleblowing and workplace culture: HR lessons from a redundancy dispute at Google
What are the legal risks for employers when whistleblowing disclosures are followed by redundancies (even if unrelated)? An ongoing tribunal case involving Google UK serves as a reminder to tread carefully. Rhys Wyborn, Partner at Shakespeare Martineau, highlights key considerations and safeguards for HR leaders as legislative change unfolds this year.
The Employment Rights Act risks halting recruitment plans for 37% of UK employers, CIPD finds
The CIPD’s Labour Market Outlook suggests Employment Rights Act measures could “act as a further handbrake” on UK hiring plans.
NHS trust changing rooms tribunal ruling: What HR needs to know
A recent tribunal ruling found that an NHS trust harassed nurses by allowing a transgender woman to use a female changing room. Peter Daly, Partner at Doyle Clayton, explains what this means for HR teams navigating the interaction between sex, gender identity and workplace health and safety law.
HR in 2026: Key challenges and priorities with Craig McCoy, HR Connection Group
As we step into 2026, HR leaders face a myriad of challenges – from regulatory upheaval to skills shortages and economic pressures. Craig McCoy, Chair of HR Connection Group, shares insights from conversations with HR directors across the UK, revealing what’s weighing on the minds of people leaders and where opportunities lie amid the turbulence.
UK unfair dismissal reform: Get ready to update your probation period
Changes to UK unfair dismissal rights are on the horizon. Are you ready? Employment law expert Emma O’Connor shares essential guidance on revising your organisation’s probationary periods and processes.
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.