Busy? Just read these Top 5 - your must-know picks of the week, no fluff, just the essentials 👇

1. OITFET drops its 2024/25 report on Judicial Mediation – Big changes, big implications ⚖️
2. 1 in 6 workplace disputes involve disability – A growing issue employers can’t ignore ♿
3. Emotional intelligence = leadership superpower – It’s what really sets great leaders apart 🧠
4. Just 20% of UK workers stick to core hours – Flexibility is the new normal ⏰
5. AI deepfakes + fake candidates = new hiring headache – Recruitment’s getting trickier 🤖

In other news.....................there's still time to join Christine and Seamus this morning for the FREE webinar Employment Law at 11 REGISTER HERE!

**If you have any difficulties accessing the article or resetting your password (if you haven’t already done so in 2025) please email hub@legal-island.com and we’ll be in touch with you as soon as possible.**

1. Case Law Reviews
2. AI and Employment Law
3. Cybersecurity
4. Disability in the Workplace
5. Working time
6. EAT: redundancy fairness and alternative employment
7. Top tips when handling global mobility matters
8. OITFET’s 2024/25 report on Judicial Mediation
9. Just in Case You Missed It...
10. HR Developments
11. Employment News in the Media
12. GB Developments
13. Free Webinars This Month

HMRC v Taylor Services Ltd [2025] EWCA Civ 956

Summary Description: 

Time spent travelling to a place of work by minibus provided by the employer did not constitute ‘work’ for the purposes of national minimum wage.

Claimant/Respondent on Appeal:

Revenue and Customs Commissioners

Respondent/Appellant on Appeal:

Taylor Services Ltd

Practical Guidance for Employers:

The Court of Appeal has provided some useful guidance when it comes to interpreting the Regulations about what constitutes work for the purposes of national minimum wage.  Where an individual is travelling from one place of work to another then that time would have to be considered but it would not be such that it is from their home to the place of work even if the transport is arranged by the employer.

Read the Review in full:
HMRC v Taylor Services Ltd [2025]

Mageza v Blaby District Council [2025] Case No: 6009397/2024

Summary Description: 

Claimant discriminated against on the grounds of race and sex when she was not offered a role within her employer despite being the highest scoring candidate.

Claimant: 

L Mageza

Respondent: 

Blaby District Council

Practical Guidance for Employers:

When it comes to internal recruitment there can easily be difficulties within that process or that occur after due to the relationships that already exist between the applicants as well as between the applicants and the decision makers.   The importance of following the recruitment policy is clear here in that it was for the highest scoring applicant to be appointed rather than it being a majority decision of two panel members to one.  This led to the difference in treatment to be made clear and the fact that the respondent could not provide a logical and reasonable argument for why that decision was made led to the Tribunal making a finding of discrimination against the claimant.

Read the Review in full:
Mageza v Blaby District Council [2025]

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These case reviews were written by Jason Elliott BL.  NI Tribunal decisions are available on the OITFET website.

If you have any queries or wish to comment on the reports please feel free to contact Jason at: jasondelliott@outlook.com 

Jason Elliott was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in 2013 and is the Associate Head of School of Law at Ulster University. As a practising barrister, he has developed a largely civil practice representing individuals, companies and public bodies in litigation.  This covers a wide range of areas including personal injuries, wills and employment law. In terms of employment law, he has represented both applicants and respondents in the Industrial Tribunal.   At Ulster University, Jason lectures extensively on the civil areas of practise such as Equity and Trusts and delivers employment law lectures for both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Remember: Our case law reviews are held in our case law section on our fully-searchable employment law hub website.

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Rise of AI deepfakes and fraudulent candidates are changing recruitment

A new weird interview question has surfaced: “Can you wave?” Not kidding. AI-generated deepfakes and candidate fraud is growing in recruiting, and -in response - talent acquisition (TA) pros are learning new ways to suss out the fit of a candidate, and that assessment now must include, “Are you real?” Read more here.

Why Static Job Structures Are Failing in the Age of AI

Anton Roe, CEO of MHR, argues that AI is not erasing entry-level roles but exposing outdated talent models. In this exclusive conversation, he explains why organisations must move away from rigid job descriptions, embrace skill-based workforce planning, and design roles where humans and AI thrive together. HRD Connect has more on this.

Why Does AI Get Such a Bad Rap from the Equality Brigade?

This week Barry Phillips wonders why AI gets such a bad rap when it comes to workplace equality and points out that AI has introduced significant accessibility advances that have been largely ignored.

You can also access this episode here.

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IBM: The AI oversight gap

New global research from IBM and Ponemon Institute reveals how AI is greatly outpacing security and governance in favor of do-it-now adoption. Key findings from the latest Cost of a Data Breach Report include:
97% share of organisations that reported an AI-related security incident and lack proper AI access controls
63% share of organisations lack AI governance policies to manage AI or prevent the proliferation of shadow AI.
4.4M USD is the global average cost of a data breach

You can download a copy of the report here.

And on that note…

UK government moves to ban ransomware payments for public sector

The government has confirmed it will move forward with proposals for a targeted ban on ransomware payments by public sector bodies and critical national infrastructure (“CNI”) owners and operators. This forms part of a broader strategy to disrupt the business model of cyber criminals and strengthen national cyber resilience. The three proposals are:
A targeted ban on ransomware payments for all public sector bodies, including local government, and for owners and operators of CNI. 
A new ransomware payment prevention regime to cover all potential ransomware payments from the UK. 
A ransomware incident reporting regime that could include a threshold-based mandatory reporting requirement for suspected victims of ransomware. Burgess Salmon provides more detail in Lexology.

Why you might say no to workations

In summer, many companies let their workers swap the office for a holiday setting. Unfortunately, improvised remote work can become a cybersecurity nightmare. According to a cybersecurity expert at NordLayer, remote work opens the door for an array of security vulnerabilities. The problem mostly stems from remote workers using unsecured public networks as crooks can exploit them to steal credentials, spread malware, and hijack accounts, among other things. More from Cyber News.

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One in six workplace disputes involve disability

The number of disability discrimination cases received by Acas for early conciliation from employment tribunals increased by 40.7% in 2024-25. More than one in six workplace disputes (16%) now involve disability discrimination as employers struggle to get to grips with mental health issues among staff, according to Nockolds. The law firm’s analysis of data from the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) reveals the number of early conciliation notifications received by Acas relating to disability discrimination increased by 31%, from 15,361 in 2023-24 to 20,180 in 2024-25. According to Nockolds, the surge in disability discrimination disputes being dealt with by Acas reflects a growing number of conditions being classified as disabilities in a way which would not have been considered the norm in previous years, including mental health. More from Personnel Today.

Civil Service Statistics: Self-declared disability hits record high – and finally matches working population

The proportion of UK civil servants who self-declare a disability has reached a record high, now matching representation in the economically active working-age population for the first time. According to the newly released 2025 Civil Service Statistics, 17.9% of officials have declared a disability—up from 16.9% in 2024 and just 8.9% in 2015. This marks a consistent year-on-year increase over the past decade, reflecting a growing openness around disability within the public sector.
Read more from Civil Service World.

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Only a fifth of UK workers stick to their core hours, study finds

Despite efforts to promote better work-life balance, many UK professionals continue to struggle with long hours and overwhelming demands. This increased workload means only a fifth (20 per cent) of workers are able to stick to their core office hours, with two thirds (66 per cent) saying their workload is too demanding to log off on time, according to a Robert Walters survey, reports People Management.

Almost half of hospitality managers and employees have poor work-life balance

Almost half of hospitality managers and employees admitted that they have a poor work-life balance, according to a new study from UK charity Hospitality Action. The charity surveyed 503 managers and employees for its annual Taking the Temperature mental health and wellbeing survey, finding that of those who have a poor work-life balance, 62% junior hospitality employees said burnout is just part of the job. When asked to identify the top three workplace challenges affecting wellbeing in the workplace, under-resourcing and understaffing was the biggest issue, cited by 57%, an increase from 2024. Employee Benefits has more on this.

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It is relatively well-known that employers have a duty, in individual redundancy situations, to consider whether there is suitable alternative employment before dismissing an employee. Failure to do so is likely to render the dismissal unfair. Taylor Wessing reports on a useful example of when an employer failed to properly look for alternative employment. The EAT did not agree that the tribunal had substituted its own view and felt it had adopted the correct approach when finding the dismissal to be unfair. Find out more here.

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Amy Nevins and David Lyons from Lewis Silkin LLP discuss their five top tips for HR professionals handling global mobility matters – from the key legal risks that may arise when employees work abroad to how you can support the business with their long term business strategy in this article for Lexology.

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Between April 2024 and March 2025, 56 Judicial Mediations took place — a 22% rise on the previous year. Of these, 73.2% led to a resolution, either on the day or shortly after, saving a total of 289 hearing days. This represents a major saving in time and cost for parties, tribunal staff and judicial resources. Read the full report here.

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HR Interview Series: Seána McCreesh

We interview some leading figures in HR to find out about their role, the challenges they face, what winds them up in business and how they wind down...Catch up here.

Major Overhaul of UK Immigration System Begins July 2025

The UK Government is rolling out a significant update to its immigration system, introducing both legal and procedural changes aimed at modernising and streamlining the process. These reforms are part of the broader implementation of the Government’s immigration White Paper and its ongoing push toward digitisation. Nick Bennett of Cleaver Fulton Rankin provides an essential update here.

They Came, They Signed the Contract… Then They Ghosted

You’ve found the one. After sifting through CVs, juggling interviews, and negotiating offers, your ideal candidate accepts the job. The contract is signed, the onboarding date is set... and then silence. No response to emails. No updates. No day one appearance. More from Katie Fox, Assoc. CIPD, MCS Group here.

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10 Essential Strategies for Leaders Handling Redundancy Announcements

Communicating redundancy proposals is a profoundly challenging task, which directly impacts the lives of those who are leaving. It can also have a ripple effect on morale and productivity for those who are remaining, as well as your organisation’s reputation. This article from HR Director provides tips.

Why emotional intelligence is the secret to effective leadership

In today’s fast-paced work environment, emotional intelligence (EI) is a must-have skill for HR leaders. It’s the key to building stronger relationships, enhancing communication, resolving conflicts, and motivating teams. Discover how mastering EI can transform your leadership style, improve organisational culture, and drive success in this article from HR Director.

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A Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officer has been dismissed for sending "highly inappropriate and offensive" messages via WhatsApp, including while on duty.
They contained material which was sectarian, racist, homophobic, antisemitic, misogynistic and sexualised, said the Police Ombudsman's office.  The BBC has more here.

A former labor relations lawyer at Netflix has sued the streaming giant and two executives, claiming they discriminated against her and other employees and retaliated against her after she filed harassment complaints, leading to her wrongful termination. Nhu-Y Phan states that she and others experienced a hostile work environment while working under senior labor relations lawyer Ted Sinclair and Director of Labor Relations Jonah Cozien. The Independent has more on this story.

A woman with a ADHD diagnosis has partially succeeded in her claim against her employer Capgemini UK on the basis of a failure to make reasonable adjustments. Other aspects of the claim, including harassment relating to disability, failed. Bahar Khorram, a former executive at the IT company, is a cloud technologist with over 25 years’ experience of solution architecture and pre-sales roles. The tribunal was told that her ADHD could affect her performance “when tasks or objectives are ambiguous” as she tends to “over-complicate them”. Personnel Today has more.
 
A nurse who shared an incriminating message sent by Sandie Peggie to a private group chat was accused of doing a ‘hatchet job’ on her former friend for NHS Fife health board. Lindsey Nicoll, an employment tribunal heard yesterday, captured a joke the 51-year-old had forwarded to the chat about the Pakistan floods and sent it on to the health board. Ms Peggie, who has an unblemished record, was suspended from work after challenging medic Dr Beth Upton, a trans-identifying male, in the changing room at Victoria Hospital, on Christmas Eve 2023. It came as part of another day of extraordinary evidence in the landmark employment tribunal. More from the Daily Mail.

Aldi store workers are set for a pay rise as the supermarket announced it was hiking its minimum wage to £13 an hour from September. The discount grocery chain claims to be the first UK supermarket to introduce the new minimum rate, reports the Belfast Telegraph.

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Most workers support disability and ethnicity pay gap reporting

A survey of 2,000 working professionals across the UK suggested public support for policies, with 77% supporting disability pay gap disclosure and 70% backing ethnicity pay gap reporting. The poll comes as the government considers its response to the recent Equality (Race and Disability) Bill consultation, which closed on 10 June. The bill is expected to be published in the coming months. It will then make its way through Parliament, with the first mandatory reports – for employers with 250 or more employees, not anticipated until 2027 at the earliest. Seventy-three per cent of workers want requirements obliging employers to publish pay information and to take corrective action when gaps emerge. Personnel Today has more.

TUC says Employment Rights Bill must be delivered ‘in full’

The TUC has told Conservative and Liberal Democrat peers in the House of Lords to ‘stop trying to block’ stronger rights for millions of workers. The union body is urging the government to “stand firm” in the face of what it calls “cynical” attacks on the Employment Rights Bill, with the Bill set for further scrutiny after peers voted to replace day-one unfair dismissal rights with a six-month qualifying period in the Lords last week. You can read more from Personnel Today.

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FREE WEBINAR: Employment Law at 11 - Here Comes the Sun: Holiday Leave Essentials for NI Employers

📅TODAY!
⏲️11am to 11.45am

REGISTER

Employment Law at 11 regular Seamus McGranaghan of O’Reilly Stewart Solicitors and Christine Quinn, Knowledge Partner at Legal Island explore annual leave entitlements under NI employment law, including tricky issues such as carry-over rules, holiday during sick leave, pay in lieu of holidays at termination and the consequences for not good maintaining records.

Tell your HR colleagues and register individually or get your HR team around the computer and use the webinars as monthly group learning opportunities. Ask any questions (on employment law) and hear the answers live or catch up later when we upload both a recording and transcript of the discussion.

NOTE: – Send your questions in advance to gosia@legal-island.com. Anonymity assured.

Please note that the employment law matters discussed in this webinar apply primarily to Northern Ireland.

Check out previous discussions:
Legal Island | Webinars and Podcasts

Enjoy your weekend!

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