5 Must-Knows This Week:

1. Employers, the updated Reasonable Adjustments guide is out 📘
2. How hot or cold is “reasonable” at work? 🌡️
3. AI in 2026: our Chair is brave enough to make a prediction 🤖
4. FTSE 100 CEOs earn the UK median salary by 6 January 💷
5. HR Skill Builder: Making AI fair in hiring kicks off in January. Have you signed up? 🎓

In other news................Advance your expertise with a recognised, accredited employment law qualification, studied flexibly from home or the office. Legal Island and Ulster University’s Postgraduate Certificate in NI Employment Law and Practice starts on 15 January. There's still time to apply. Find out more HERE.

1. Case Law Reviews
2. AI and Employment Law
3. Updated Reasonable Adjustments Guide for Employers
4. SSP: Changes in Northern Ireland coming into effect 6 April 2026
5. Review and Looking Ahead
6. Winter Wellbeing
7. Disciplinary Processes
8. Unions accuse McDonald's of 'repeated harassment' against 'mostly teenage' staff
9. Just in Case You Missed It...
10. HR Developments
11. Employment News in the Media
12. GB Developments
13. Free Webinars This Month

Chaudhry v Paperchase Products Ltd [2025] EAT 181

Summary Description: 

No requirement for the basic award to be paid when the claimant had an ongoing unfair dismissal case when his employer entered administration.

Claimant: 

Mohammed Shazan Chaudhry

Respondent: 

Paperchase Products Ltd (formerly in Administration)
Secretary of State for Business and Trade

Practical Guidance for Employers:

An interesting case outlining the limits to the extent to which the state will step in and protect individuals when their employer has gone into insolvency.   It is clear that the date of insolvency is the date at which the debts are examined and as the claimant had no decision from the Tribunal regarding his outstanding unfair dismissal action this did not pass the liability onto the state to protect that individual as a former employee.

Read the Review in full: Chaudhry v Paperchase Products Ltd [2025]

Kirby v Royal Mail Group Ltd [2025] EAT 141

Summary Description: 

Explicit social media post was not regarded as being in consequence of the claimant’s disability and the dismissal was regarded as fair.

Claimant: 

P Kirby

Respondent: 

Royal Mail Group Ltd

Practical Guidance for Employers:

This case relates to whether something is in consequence of a recognised disability and this can be more troublesome when it relates to the claimant alleging that it was a meltdown relating to their disability.  However, the Tribunal and the EAT make it clear that it is for the claimant to demonstrate evidence to that effect – without that then the medical evidence should be given its due weight which did not demonstrate that it was entirely linked to the disability and as a result the dismissal was fair.

Read the Review in full: Kirby v Royal Mail Group Ltd [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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Skill Builder for HR: Making AI Work Fairly in Hiring

📅Wednesday, 28 January 2026
⏰12:30 - 14:00 ( 1 hour 30 mins )
📍Online

Part of the Skill Builder for HR: 6 x 6 series, monthly, 90-minute practical HR and employment law sessions designed exclusively for senior HR professionals and business leaders. James Hutt, Consultant from Paradigm Junction discusses how AI tools are reshaping how organisations source, screen, and select candidates and how to design recruitment workflows that use AI responsibly and transparently. More here.

Expect AI to take centre stage in 2026’s cyber landscape

Legacy approaches no longer enough to ward off attacks, experts warn. 2025 was littered with cyberattacks and outages, involving government organisations, airlines, retail giants and some of the biggest names protecting the web. Silicon Republic has more.

Government adds privacy and societal impact to data-use principles – but acknowledges likely ‘ethical trade-offs’ 

Just before Christmas, the Government Digital Service published the Data and AI Ethics Framework, which is intended to provide “guidance for public sector organisations on how to use data and data-driven technologies responsibly”. The incumbent principles of transparency, accountability, and fairness remain in place, but now also included are: privacy; safety; societal impact; and environmental sustainability. However, accompanying this growing list of considerations, the document now also features a new section headed “trade-offs”, which opens with a warning that “there may be instances where you find that two or more of the ethical principles are in tension with one another”. Public Technology has more on this.

AI for HR Weekly Podcast with Barry Phillips 🎙️

This week's episode: Who would dare make a prediction for 2026 in the world of AI? Our Chairman apparently…!

You can tune into the latest episode right here - or, if you’re on the move, why not take us with you?

Listen on all major platforms: 🎧 Spotify🎧 Amazon Music 🎧 Apple Podcasts

Simply search for “AI for HR Weekly Podcast” and enjoy expert insights anytime, anywhere.

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Lewis Silkin, in association with Legal Island, have prepared what we hope will be a user-friendly and helpful guide.  This has been developed with employers in mind, to help bring guidance and resources for the making of adjustments for disabled applicants and employees into one user-friendly publication.

Download your copy HERE.

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The UK Government is introducing significant reforms to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) through the Employment Rights Bill, with changes due to take effect from 6 April 2026, subject to Royal Assent. The Department for the Communities in Northern Ireland has confirmed that these changes will also apply in Northern Ireland with the rollout of changes to SSP following the same timeline. This article from Employers Federation outlines what steps employers in NI should take now to prepare.

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From return to office battles to sweeping employment law reforms, 2025 was another turbulent year for HR leaders. This article from People Management looks at some of the key changes.

FTSE 100 CEOs earn UK median salary by 6 January

The median FTSE 100 chief executive’s earnings for 2026 will surpass the median annual salary for a full-time worker in the UK by around midday on Tuesday 6 January, according to the High Pay Centre think tank. As with last year, the executive pay data suggests that CEOs will have to work less than three days of 2026 to surpass the annual pay of the median worker. More from Personnel Today.

Employers brace for more layoffs as headcount expectations drop

Employers are preparing to lay off more staff as higher payroll costs from taxes and red tape are hitting headcount expectations, an industry survey has found. Researchers at the Institute of Directors said strengthened workers’ rights in the Employment Rights Bill, which is set to kick into effect this year in GB, and the ripple effects of higher payroll taxes would force employers to think twice about taking on more staff. City AM has more on this.

New Year, New Rules: Key UK Immigration Changes For 2026

The government’s proposed immigration reforms, including measures to reduce net migration and strengthen border controls, outlined in the May 2025 white paper, “Restoring Control Over the Immigration System,” will continue to be implemented throughout 2026. For individuals, families, employers, and immigration practitioners alike, understanding these changes is essential for planning and compliance. Key points include:

•    Higher English Language Requirements (8 January 2026)
•    Electronic Travel Authorisation Enforcement (25 February 2026)
•    Revolutionary Settlement Rules (“Earned Settlement”)

Rosanna Atkins from Richmond Chambers provides the detail here. 

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How cold is too cold to go to work?

Employers have responsibilities to keep their workers safe and healthy, particularly when staff have to carry out their duties in cold environments. Sky News has more.

What is a reasonable working temperature?

Employers have a legal duty to ensure that working environments are a 'reasonable temperature'. NI Business Info provides a handy overview on what employers need to remember during this chilly weather.

TUC - Record levels of work-related stress in workplaces

Almost eight in in ten (79 per cent) of union reps taking part in the TUC’s 15th biennial survey reported stress as one of the main concerns they face at work - and that employers are routinely failing to assess or act on the risks. The survey found: 79% of safety reps cite stress as a major hazard. Stress is rated as the top concern in every region and almost every industrial sector, particularly sharp in central (80%) and local government (66%), health (68%), education (74%) and the voluntary sector (71%). You can read the full press release here.

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Manager confidence puts drag on disciplinary processes

According to a poll of HR professionals by WorkNest, 53% of cases take longer than a month, while 15% of organisations reported that investigations regularly exceed three months. Only 12% complete investigations within two weeks, said WorkNest. Sixty per cent of managers only escalate concerns to HR after informal actions have failed, and 17% wait until misconduct is serious or a formal process is unavoidable. Personnel Today has more on this.

Royal Mail staff found to have been fairly dismissed after overtime concerns

An employment tribunal has ruled that two Royal Mail workers who were sacked after concerns about overtime payments were fairly dismissed. During the disciplinary process, both were dismissed for gross misconduct while absent because of their disabilities. They argued that they were discriminated against because the allegations were determined without their full participation, bringing claims of disability discrimination, unfair dismissal and non-payment of wages. You can read more on this from Employee Benefits.

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A group of trade unions has alleged McDonald's has violated international labour standards by failing to tackle sexual harassment in its UK restaurants and franchises. The unions complained to an independent unit within government which has now offered to intervene by mediating between the unions and McDonald's. More here from the BBC.

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Thirty years of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in Northern Ireland: what it means for employers now and going forward

Thirty years after the Disability Discrimination Act, Northern Ireland employers face evolving disability challenges, from neurodiversity to hybrid working, raising questions about whether the legal framework is due for modernisation. Read more from Adam Brett, Paul Gillen and Orla Bingham, Lewis Silkin.

HR transformation, now featuring AI

For many HR leaders, artificial intelligence comes with a mix of curiosity and concern. On one hand, AI promises efficiency and insight. On the other, it raises uncomfortable questions around job security, ethics, bias and the future role of HR itself. The most common, and most damaging, mistake organisations make is framing AI as a threat to be managed rather than a partner to be embraced. Jacqui Saunders, Director, JQ Consult Ltd has more.

Q&A: Are employers legally required to accommodate flexible working?

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. These expert insights provide clear guidance to ensure your HR practices remain compliant and protect your organisation. This month's question: Are Employers legally required to accommodate flexible working? Madison Bowyer Associate in Arthur Cox NI gives her take.

New Year, Smarter Wellbeing Strategy

As the new year begins, it’s tempting to rush into resolutions and quick fixes. Organisations can often fall into the same trap with wellbeing—jumping straight to new apps or programmes. The most valuable first step is to pause, take stock, and run a practical organisational health check: what’s working, what’s under‑utilised, and where the real gaps are. Read more from Andrew Magill, Head of Wellbeing, Incorporate Benefits.

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Investigations: common challenges and how to address them

HR and employment law teams often experience periods of heightened activity, and this is especially true during times when organisations are navigating compensation discussions, organisational change or employee relations challenges. Alongside routine workplace issues, teams may also be required to manage complex conversations around performance, potential exits or disputes between colleagues. These situations can lead to concerns being raised by current, departing or former employees about their treatment at work. And for HR and legal teams, the need to conduct an investigation can then arise. Freshfields has more.

Skill Builder for HR: Conducting Workplace Investigations

📅Thursday, 19 February 2026
⏰12:30 - 14:00 ( 1 hour 30 mins )
📍Online

As an Employment Law Hub subscriber, you are entitled to receive two complimentary places on our brand-new Skill Builder for HR series – join us on 19th February for Skill Builder for HR: Conducting Workplace Investigations. Find out more HERE.

What are the must-have soft skills for the year ahead?

Regardless of your field, you aren’t going to get too far without an arsenal of soft skills, but which ones should you prioritise? Silicon Republic has more.

The HR & L&D trends that will define 2026

Big change is coming for HR and L&D in 2026, and standing still isn’t an option. From AI and skills gaps to retention headaches and hybrid work tensions, what should leaders focus on? Let’s break down the seven trends shaping the year ahead in this article from the Training Journal.

Difficult Conversations – A Smarter Way to Disagree

To foster constructive disagreements, organisations should encourage individuals to modify their observable behaviours during conflicts. This article from Harvard Business Review provides tips to help you retain key relationships when delivering difficult messages. Read here.

Giving employees agency in 2026

Employee disengagement is a crisis. According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2025 report, global employee engagement has declined to just 21% — meaning roughly four out of five employees do not describe themselves as engaged at work. Here’s how HR can give employees the power to act on survey data and drive measurable change with guidance from HR Director.

CEO of the world’s biggest recruiter says Gen Z grads need to consider trade and hospitality jobs that don’t even require degrees

Millions of Gen Zers are facing unemployment as entry-level office roles get absorbed by AI, and millennials are regretting taking out thousands in student loans for careers that now have significantly diminished prospects. Now, the CEO of the world’s biggest talent company, Randstad, has confirmed what many young grads are already fearing: The traditional college-to-office pipeline is dead. Fortune magazine has more. 

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The head of a leading disability rights charity turned down an MBE in the New Year Honours over what she described as the "simply intolerable" situation facing disabled people in the UK. Tressa Burke, chief executive of the Glasgow Disability Alliance, was recognised by the prime minister for her services to people with disabilities. But in a letter to the Cabinet Office, posted on X, external, she condemned policy changes in November's Budget, including cuts to the Motability scheme. More from the BBC.

Serial rapists David Carrick and Cliff Mitchell were among more than 130 Metropolitan Police officers and staff wrongly hired or allowed to keep working as vetting was relaxed in a recruitment drive, a review has found. Thousands of recruits joined the force without undergoing proper checks as bosses abandoned national guidelines amid efforts to meet the Tory government's policy to recruit 20,000 officers in England and Wales. Sky News has more on this story.

Teachers in Northern Ireland have been offered a pay rise of 4% for 2025/26, backdated to 1 September 2025. Teaching unions have welcomed the pay offer, and said it was "the maximum possible in the current financial circumstances". However, each individual union will now consult their members on the offer reports the BBC. Read here. 

Six immigration officers have been charged with a range of offences following a Home Office investigation into allegations of theft from migrants and money laundering. All of the staff are facing counts of money laundering. Five are charged with misconduct in public office and conspiracy to steal. One has also been charged with immigration and ID-document offences. More from Civil Service World.

A GP has been suspended for five months after deliberately booking unnecessary face-to-face appointments in an attempt to manage her working day around childcare responsibilities. The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service found that Dr Helen Eisenhauer, who had worked at Stenhouse Medical Centre in Arnold, Nottinghamshire, since 2018, booked in-person appointments for two patients she had already consulted by phone. People Management has more.

Business and Accountancy Daily reports Helix Law estimates it has clawed back more than 6,000 hours, equivalent to three working years, by telling its 20 staff not to fill colleagues’ inboxes with back-and-forth messages. The Brighton based commercial law firm now reports average fees earned per employee of up to 87% more than similarly sized firms, which it puts down to the ban. Access the article here.

The BBC reports an indefinite strike by barristers in Northern Ireland will have a "devastating impact on the justice system, particularly for victims", Justice Minister Naomi Long has said. The strike, which began on Monday, means that no crown court cases involving people who require legal aid can proceed while the dispute continues. The chair of the Bar Council of Northern Ireland, Donal Lunny KC, said the strike was called because crown court legal aid fees have not risen in 20 years. BBC has more. 

The Home Office has granted a temporary exemption to the immigration rules for foreign nationals working in UK prisons in a bid to head off a potential staffing crisis. The POA union, which represents uniformed prison grades, has welcomed a temporary reduction in the salary threshold prisoners officers must be paid to qualify for a visa or extension. Civil Service World has more here.

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NB: Please note these articles relate to GB and do not apply in Northern Ireland, unless otherwise stated.

Employment Rights Act: zero-hours contracts, union rights and equality rules

Some of the more complex measures in the Employment Rights Act are not planned to take effect until 2027. This, the government claims, will allow time for consultations between employers, workers and trade unions to take place to determine how the laws will be implemented. This article from People Management outlines some of the key points here.

Unfair Dismissal 2026: What Every UK Employer Needs to Know About the New Rules

NB: While this article refers to ‘UK law’ throughout, it discusses changes made in England & Wales, not the UK as a whole.

Major reforms to UK employment law are on the horizon — and they are set to reshape the way employers handle dismissals. As changes to the Employment Rights Bill (ERB) advance through Parliament, businesses and HR leaders must prepare now. Here is what is changing — and how organisations should adapt. More from HR Connect.

TUC: New impact assessment shows increased benefits of Employment Rights Act to workers, businesses and economy

An updated impact assessment published Wednesday by the Department for Business and Trade shows that the Employment Rights Act will bring significant benefits to UK workers, our economy and wider society.

Key benefits include:

• Sick pay reforms mean up to 1.3m low paid employees will now be able to take paid time off when they’re sick.
• Unpaid holiday pay worth hundreds of millions of pounds will be recovered for workers by the new Fair Work Agency.
• Unfair dismissal protection extended to over 6 million workers who have been with their employer less than two years but more than six months.

You can read more here.

UK: Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act in force from 29 December 2025, implementing day one paternity leave for bereaved fathers/partners

Commencement regulations were made on 15 December 2025 bringing the Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act 2024 into force with effect from 29 December 2025. As a result, fathers/partners of a mother or adopter of a child who dies in childbirth, or within a year of the birth or adoption, are no longer required to have six months' service in order to be able to take paternity leave, and will no longer be prohibited from taking paternity leave if they have already taken shared parental leave. More from Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer.

Top 5 employment law issues for 2026

As we look ahead to 2026, HR Directors, General Counsel, and business leaders face a rapidly evolving employment law landscape. From significant legislative reforms to the rise of new technologies and an increased focus on workforce wellbeing, this year will bring challenges and opportunities. The team at Walker Morris provide guidance.

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MCS Lunch & Learn: Level Up Your Recruitment Strategy for 2026

📅Tuesday 20th of January 2026
⏰12 noon – 12:45 p.m.
📍Online

Think you’ve seen it all in recruitment? Think again. Join us for a free 45-minute lunchtime webinar on 20th of January 2026, hosted by Legal Island in partnership with MCS Group, and get the inside scoop on what’s really shaping hiring and how to hit the ground running in 2026.

What to expect:

• Understand how last year’s shifts in HR roles, sector trends and candidate expectations are shaping recruitment in 2026
• Explore how candidates and employers are using AI from CV optimisation to predictive hiring and what it means for your strategy
• Practical tips to reduce costs, streamline workflows and make automation work with your people, not against them

Stay ahead of salary trends, new role types and sector specific insights that will define the year ahead!
Julie will host a live Q and A with recruitment experts Rebekah Mulligan, Senior Recruitment Consultant - HR – MCS UK & Ireland and Associate Recruitment Consultant Tara Duffy, so you leave with answers, ideas and a sharper 2026 hiring toolkit.

Sign up for your free place here.

Enjoy your weekend!

Legal Island

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