The Work Agenda

The red tape and costs associated with a contingent workforce will be increasing throughout 2026 and beyond. We discussed the complex new requirements under the Employment Rights Act.

The Act also introduces significant reforms to the regulation of umbrella companies and new responsibilities for payroll tax compliance bite in April 2026. We also looked at the government’s plans to make right to work checks compulsory for wider working arrangements with the associated civil and criminal sanctions for non compliance applicable.

This episode is part of a mini-series covering the topics discussed at The Work Agenda 2026 conference, we hope you enjoy listening. Remember to share with colleagues and if you do have any comments, we would love to hear them.

Technical defences alone won’t stop misuse, error or rogue insiders. From careless clicks to malicious insiders, employees remain the most likely source of data compromise.

We unpack how everyday access rights and behaviours, including misuse of AI systems, become high impact breaches/risk incidents, and what “appropriate” security measures really mean in practice. Expect clear guidance on what good governance means, risk assessment, when and how to notify data regulators (around the world) and data subjects, and how to close incidents well to reduce repeat risk.

This episode is part of a mini-series covering the topics discussed at The Work Agenda 2026 conference, we hope you enjoy listening. Remember to share with colleagues and if you do have any comments, we would love to hear them.

Businesses are facing challenges in a modern work environment which is increasingly multi-generational and diverse. Employees are more aware of their rights and seeking to hold employers accountable for their actions and the actions of other employees/third parties. Using a case study to guide the discussion at The Work Agenda 2026 conference we shared practical solutions and explored some of the issues that we are seeing employers grapple with including sexual harassment (a year on from the introduction of the preventative duty), neurodiversity, divergence in socio-political views and speak up culture.

This episode is part of a mini-series covering the topics discussed at The Work Agenda 2026 conference, we hope you enjoy listening. Remember to share with colleagues and if you do have any comments, we would love to hear them.

In this episode, Sally and David discuss the recent collective consultation case, Micro-Focus Ltd v Mildenhall, the new HR1 form and the implementation of the Pay Transparency Directive.

In this episode, Paul Gillen is joined by David Hopper – both of them partners in the employment team here at Lewis Silkin – to talk about Theme C of Northern Ireland’s proposed “Good Jobs” Employment Rights Bill.

From union access and lower recognition thresholds to e-ballots, while the seven-day industrial action notice stays put – this episode explores what’s likely to change now, what’s for later and practical takeaways on regulations and timelines in early 2026.