🔥This Week's Top 5: Five Stories You Can’t Afford to Miss this Week 🔥

1. 🗺️🔎GB's Employment Rights Bill: The Roadmap Lands
2. ☠️BBC Breakfast: Scrambling to Fix Toxic Leadership
3. 🕵️‍♂️ 90% of EMEA Firms Uncover Candidate Red Flags: How can you spot them?
4. ✈️🕷️Hackers in the Skies: Airlines brace as experts warn of Scattered Spider attack threat
5. ✨ Less time, less stress, more success: How the 4 day week is beating burnout
   

And in other news.....🔥 Burnout is bleeding businesses dry. Up to $5 million a year in lost productivity. But it’s not just the hours – it’s the pinging messages, fuzzy job roles, and ghost-mode managers wearing teams out. Time for a serious wellbeing audit? Read more 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. ECNI Guidance to be produced after For Women Scotland Supreme Court decision
4. Cybersecurity
5. £233,000 award to employee due to lack of reasonable adjustments
6. Tribunal affirms reality of violence and abuse faced by Co-op shop workers
7. Four-day week campaigners hail pilot ‘a success’
8. Just in Case You Missed It...
9. HR Developments
10. Employment News in the Media
11. GB Developments
12. Health and Safety Developments
13. Free Webinars This Month

Raison v DF Capital Bank Ltd [2025]

Summary Description: 

Claim presented out of time as the time for early conciliation not added onto the time allowed to present the claim when early conciliation started before time started to run.

Claimant: 

C Raison

Respondent: 

DF Capital Bank Ltd

Practical Guidance for Employers:

The EAT have provided clarity on a technical point arising from early conciliation and the impact it has on time limits. To this end, the extra days to the time limit as a result of early conciliation only arises when the time has actually started to run rather than a set number of days on top of the three months.  Therefore, the fact that early conciliation started before the time officially began running (effective date of termination) – it did not include those days and the claim was presented out of time.

Read the Review in full.

R (On the Application of Ayinde) v Haringey LBC [2025]

Summary Description: 

Wasted costs and referral to regulator occurs when there was a failure to check responses from a generative AI tool leading to fictitious cases being put before the court.

Claimant/Appellant: 

R (On the Application of Ayinde)

Respondent: 

Haringey London Borough Council

Practical Guidance for Employers:

Generative AI tools have the capability of ensuring efficiencies and producing mass amounts of material within seconds. However, caution must be taken in the use of such material especially when it comes to the professional and ethical concerns as can arise in terms of interactions with the court. This judgment gives a stark lesson not only in monetary terms such as wasted costs but, perhaps more importantly, the reputational damage that can arise when the results from AI tools are not thoroughly checked and relied upon blindly.  Both HR professionals and legal professions must heed this warning and ensure that where AI tools are being utilised that sufficient oversight of the responses is had to avoid hallucinations and misleading others or the court.

Read the Review in full.

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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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AI in hiring out-performs humans in fairness

A report from AI auditing platform Warden AI, The ‘State of AI Bias in Talent Acquisition 2025’, suggests that AI models may reduce, not increase, bias in hiring. Three-quarters (75 per cent) of HR leaders cite bias as a top concern when evaluating AI tools, second only to data privacy. The report, which analysed ‘high-risk’ AI systems used in talent acquisition and intelligence platforms, reveals that AI may help organisations make fairer decisions than their human counterparts. Global Recruiter has more on this story.

Microsoft to cut up to 9,000 jobs as it invests in AI

Microsoft has confirmed that it will lay off as many as 9,000 workers, in the technology giant's latest wave of job cuts this year. Microsoft has set out plans to invest heavily in artificial intelligence (AI), and is spending $80bn (£68.6bn) in huge data centres to train AI models. More from the BBC.

'I'm being paid to fix issues caused by AI'

AI is making me extra money, says Sarah Skidd, a product marketing manager who writes for tech and start-up companies. Ms Skidd, who lives in Arizona, is not worried that businesses are switching to AI, like ChatGPT, rather than using copywriters like herself. In the last few years, generative AI has taken off and businesses are turning to systems like ChatGPT developed by OpenAI, and Google Gemini to transform business practices, and cut time and money. More than a third (35%) of small businesses plan to expand AI use within two years, rising to 60% among those aiming for rapid sales growth, according to research by the Federation of Small Businesses, external. BBC has more.

GenAI - Cognitive Debt or Wealth in the Workplace? It’s Up to Us to Decide…

This week Barry Phillips argues that GenAI makes us lazier or better and its entirely up to us…

GenAI - Cognitive Debt or Wealth in the Workplace? It’s Up to Us to Decide…

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On 16 April 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that "sex" under the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex. While this decision could strongly influence future cases in Northern Ireland, local courts aren't bound by it. The Equality Commission has concluded that, due to Northern Ireland’s distinct legal framework, the issue remains complex and unclear. The commission has published a paper, providing its views on the legal position, following the ruling that a woman is defined by biological sex under equalities law. More here. 

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Airlines brace as experts warn of Scattered Spider attack threat

Hackers using Scattered Spider tactics are renowned for targeting one sector at a time. For the past year, US and UK retailers have been in their sights with high-profile attacks on Marks & Spencer, Harrods and the Co-op. Now the FBI and other experts are warning that international airlines may be next in their crosshairs. Already cyberattacks have been reported on the US’s Hawaiian Airlines and Canada’s WestJet in recent weeks. More from Silicon Republic

Glasgow services downed and citizen data ‘presumed’ stolen after cyberattack

The local authority for Scotland’s largest city has announced that a breach was first discovered last week, since when numerous services have been impacted, including parking, registration and refuse platforms. More from Public Technology.

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Kelly Ruddock, a disabled medical secretary at West Suffolk Hospital, was awarded over £233,000 after an employment tribunal found she was unfairly dismissed and discriminated against by the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. She resigned in 2021 after being told to move to a ward-based role that her disabilities made impossible. The tribunal concluded the trust failed to make reasonable adjustments, violating her rights under disability discrimination laws. More from the BBC.

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Shop workers at the Co-op have taken a significant step forward in their long-running warehouse and shop floor equal pay battle, after a tribunal recognised the tough realities of their roles including regular exposure to verbal abuse and physical risks. Talking Retail has more on this.

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All 17 companies in the UK’s four-day workweek pilot will keep the shorter schedule after the six-month trial. Nearly 1,000 employees took part, with most companies maintaining performance levels. The results showed 62% of workers felt less burned out, and 33% reported lower stress. Facilitate has more here

And more on this from My London News.

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Q&A Series

Stay ahead of the curve with our exclusive Q&A series, brought to you by leading law firm, Arthur Cox LLP, designed to answer your most pressing legal questions. Chris Fullerton provides clarity on:

• Can an employer be fined for failing to display their employer’s liability certificate?
  
• Can CCTV be used in an employment investigation into an employee’s misconduct?

Workplace Pranks: How do I Handle it?

When workplace pranks spiral from playful to problematic, how do you step in before things go too far? Emma Doherty, Associate Solicitor at Tughans LLP outlines how you can achieve balance in this month's How do I handle it?
Access the article here. 

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BBC Breakfast editor takes extended leave amid bullying claims – how can HR tackle toxic leadership?

As the broadcaster faces questions over its workplace culture, People Management explores how organisations can build safer, more transparent work environments. Read the full article here. 

And addressing misconduct isn't restricted to one sector...

FCA extends rules on bullying and harassment

This article from Personnel Today outlines how the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will extend its rules on bullying and harassment - termed “non-financial misconduct”- beyond the banking sector. Starting 1 September 2026, these conduct standards will apply to about 37,000 regulated firms, including financial advisers and similar roles. The move clarifies that serious behaviour issues can now constitute a breach even outside traditional banking environments.

Employers are still not conducting candidate checks despite global rise in ID fraud

A global screening report from Hireright reveals 90% of EMEA  (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) businesses detected discrepancies during pre-employment checks -highlighting rising concerns about ID fraud and AI-assisted misrepresentation. Among over 1,000 HR and risk professionals surveyed, the most common issues were inflated work history (64%), inaccurate education claims (47%), and undisclosed criminal records (22%). You can find out more from HR Director.

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Health Minster Mike Nesbitt has sacked the chair of the Belfast Trust, Ciaran Mulgrew. The Department of Health said Mr Nesbitt decided on a change of leadership at the trust, saying he believes a fresh start is required. The minister and department said they would like to thank Mr Mulgrew for his contribution to the trust and the wider health and social care system. Mr Mulgrew will leave the post on Friday and the department said the process for filling the chair's post is being initiated as a priority. BBC has more. 

A junior Home Office staff member has been jailed for offering to grant asylum applications in exchange for thousands of pounds in bribes.  Imran Mulla worked as an executive officer in the Home Office’s asylum team based in Manchester. His duties involved managing a digital caseload, interviewing asylum seekers and considering their applications. 
Civil Service World has more on this story.

Anne Donaghy, former chief executive of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, is among two individuals facing charges following a police investigation. She is to be prosecuted on three counts under the Freedom of Information Act and other laws, linked to the alleged deletion of emails concerning an FoI request. More from the BBC.

Georgina Foster, a solicitor and tribunal member with a "portfolio career," had her holiday pay claim dismissed by an employment tribunal. The tribunal ruled she was not a worker under section 230 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, as she held office rather than worked under a contract. The Law Gazette has more.

Concerns have been raised with how McDonald's handled a rape complaint among staff members at one of its Northern Irish premises as police make an arrest as part of their investigation. Belfast Live has more on this.

Pressure on audit income has forced PwC to make a tranche of junior auditors redundant putting entry-level roles on a collision course with AI. This followed an announcement of several hundred audit associate redundancies last week, while some soon to be and newly qualified auditors on visas are ‘doubting their futures with the firm’, warned leading recruiter. The latest job cuts will come into effect in August, with the Big Four firm saying it was forced to make compulsory redundancies as there were not enough staff coming forward to take up the voluntary severance programme. Business & Accountancy Daily has more.

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Although the Employment Rights Bill only applies to GB, it's prudent to consider whether these changes will influence our legislation...

Roadmap for implementing the Employment Rights Bill

The Plan to Make Work Pay is the Government’s package of reforms that will upgrade our employment rights framework, ensuring it is fit for a modern economy, and support the delivery of the Government’s Plan for Change by tackling the low pay, poor working conditions and poor job security that have been holding the UK economy back. 
The Employment Rights Bill is a crucial step in delivering these reforms.

And here is the CIPD’s take.....

Employment Rights Bill roadmap welcome, but questions over enforcement and support remain

Ben Willmott, head of public policy at the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, said:
"This roadmap gives greater clarity on the timelines for implementing the most significant workplace reforms in a generation…It’s also positive that the government has recognised the importance of further consultation on key areas still to be finalised, such as the new statutory probation period and new rights for zero hours workers. While we’re pleased to see this gradual phasing, employers only have nine months to prepare for changes to the statutory sick pay regime, including removing the lower earnings limit and ending the three-day waiting period. Businesses are already struggling with rising employment costs following increases to the National Living Wage and employer National Insurance contributions this year, and we'd hoped they’d be given more time to prepare for this significant change.” You can read the full statement here.

'Unworkable': Former senior civil servants question new public speaking rules

Former senior civil servants have warned the government’s new rules on senior officials speaking in public are "outrageous" and "unworkable". The Institute for Government yesterday raised concerns about new internal government guidance banning senior and mid-ranking officials from speaking at events with Q&A sessions, or where media are expected to attend. 
Civil Service World has more on this story.

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Employers’ duty of care: keeping workers safe in a heatwave

Employers have a legal duty to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of their employees at work, so it is important to ensure that working temperatures are reasonable. Legislation does not currently stipulate a maximum temperature in workplaces but the TUC suggests this should be introduced to keep employees safe and healthy in extreme temperatures. More from Personnel Today here. 

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FREE WEBINAR: MCS Lunch and Learn: What Top Recruiters Know that You Don’t (Yet)       

🔔 Please note that the webinar has been rescheduled to 23rd July.

🗓  Thursday, 23 July 2025
🕚 12:00 – 12:45 (45 mins)
💻 Online

Register HERE.
                                                            
Join Julie from Legal Island for an MCS Lunch and Learn webinar with leading recruitment experts Ryan Calvert and Rebekah Mulligan. In the first quarter of 2025, the business and recruitment landscape has already been reshaped by macroeconomic, socio-economic, and political forces. Policy changes, inflationary pressures, and shifts in the labour market are compelling organisations across the UK and Northern Ireland to reassess their HR strategies. As workforce dynamics continue to evolve and skills demands grow, it’s essential for HR professionals to adapt their approaches to remain competitive and effectively meet new challenges.

In this 45-minute webinar, Ryan and Rebekah will share the latest trends in recruitment, exploring how organisations are addressing skills shortages, meeting the demand for flexible work, and adapting to the changing expectations of today’s candidates. From the rise of AI-assisted applications to the impact of global DEI rollbacks on local employer brands, they’ll outline the trends that will define talent acquisition in 2025 and beyond.

In this session, we’ll cover:

• Evolving Hiring Trends – Gain insight into where job demand is expected to increase in the next year.
  
• Practical Strategies for Addressing Skills Shortages and Talent Demands – Learn how organisations are responding to economic pressures and shifting labour markets.
  
• Building an Authentic and Competitive Employer Brand – Discover how cultural fit and retention efforts can strengthen your recruitment strategy.

Learn how to build trust and strengthen your employer brand in an era where candidates are more informed than ever. Our experts will also discuss how HR teams can stay authentic and competitive in a rapidly shifting environment - ensuring your organisation’s values shine through at every touchpoint, from job adverts to interviews and beyond. Expect practical tips, straight-talking insights, and just enough humour to make your talent challenges feel (almost) manageable.

Got questions? Bring them along! Ryan and Rebekah will be answering audience questions, giving you the chance to get expert advice on the issues that matter most to you.

Check out previous discussions:
Legal Island | Webinars and Podcasts

Enjoy your weekend!

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