Employee Management
the law, the research and the reality
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Introduction Indications from some of my clients suggest we may be entering a period when companies are, once again, looking at reducing headcount, so I thought I’d look at a recent relevant case that might be helpful. In what one might describe as a rare moment of sanity in the UK’s increasingly anti-employer legal environment, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) observes time only runs in one direction. The case of Micro Focus Ltd v Mr James Mildenhall [2025] EAT 188 pushes back against the creeping expansion of employment obligations that…
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There are few certainties in life and navigating employment law is certainly not one of them. As a recent Employment Appeal Tribunal case demonstrates, even if an employer acts lawfully, they may still find themselves at tribunal and can even lose. This, of course, is why there is an appeal process and a very useful takeaway from The Scottish Ministers v James Blair [2025] EAT 74 is the importance of not only doing the right thing, but being able to present clear and compelling evidence of this; it may help…
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Key Takeaways for Employers from KPMG’s 2025 Global Study AI (Artificial Intelligence) is transforming workplaces and the very nature of work across all sectors and sizes of organisations. I’ve seen it being used in very different environments, from a small classic car restoration business to local authority departments. But, the embrace of AI is, to say the least, patchy. I have clients who were surprised to discover their employees are even using AI at all, and others who are looking to use it in every imaginable aspect of their work.…
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Published: April 2025 From 6 April 2025, a new employment law came into effect introducing a statutory entitlement for eligible employees: Neonatal Care Leave and Pay. This change is intended to support working parents whose babies require specialist care after birth, ensuring they do not have to rely solely on existing parental leave provisions during what is often a difficult and distressing time. What Is Neonatal Care Leave? Neonatal Care Leave is a day-one employment right that allows parents to take up to 12 weeks of leave if their baby…
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Does it “Make Work Pay”?
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Elon Musk has once again captured public attention—not with a new Tesla or a SpaceX launch, but with an email. An email sent to all employees of the US federal government as part of his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative. His directive? “List five things you achieved last week.” This simple yet direct inquiry has sparked widespread discussion, particularly among those involved in employee management and organisational performance. While some see it as a pragmatic approach to increasing accountability, others have reacted with hostility, arguing that it imposes an excessive…
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You might not be, but your team are using AI for work… AI is already in your workplace, whether you realise it or not. Employees across all industries are using artificial intelligence tools to write reports, generate code, analyse data, and even draft emails. A recent study by Anthropic, which analysed millions of AI interactions, found that AI is being used across a vast range of occupations and tasks, from software development and technical writing to marketing and business operations. The key takeaway? AI is not a futuristic possibility—it’s a…
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On 10 October 2024, the UK’s Labour government introduced the Employment Rights Bill to Parliament. The changes set out in the Bill are, we are told, aimed at enhancing employees’ and workers’ rights as part of the government’s declared intention to “make work pay”. While the changes do, on the surface, provide greater protections for workers, they inevitably increase the burden on employers and add further risk to the decision to become or remain an employer. One would be hard-pressed not to spot the incongruous timing of this, coming only…
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Sometimes the most valuable employee-management insights come not from groundbreaking cases, but from those that reinforce the importance of fundamental principles. The recent Employment Tribunal decision in Currie v Four Seasons Health Care Group offers just such a reminder. It underscores a crucial truth: effective employee management isn’t about revolutionary techniques, but about consistently applying robust procedures and managing performance diligently. The Case in Brief The claimant alleged that her dismissal was linked to a protected disclosure she made under the whistleblowing provisions of the Employment Rights Act 1996. However,…
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The balance between supporting employees with long-term health conditions and maintaining operational efficiency is often a delicate one. A recent Employment Tribunal case provides useful insights into how employers might
