Employment law

The UK Government sought views on increasing the level of protective award an employment tribunal can make and on applying interim relief to collective consultation and fire and rehire obligations. 

• Read more on the UK Government website. 
• Read our response (December 2024). 

The UK Government sought views on how to apply zero hour contract measures to agency workers, to help ensure that the measures within the Employment Rights Bill are effective and appropriately applied. 

• Read more on the UK Government website. 
• Read our response (December 2024). 

The UK Government Department for Work and Pensions sought views on a consultation on the percentage rate for those earning below the current rate of Statutory Sick Pay. 

• Read more on the UK Government website. 
• Read our response. 

The UK Government's Tribunal Procedure Committee (TPC) has issued a consultation on a potential rule change to amend the rules for each chamber of the first-tier tribunal and the employment tribunals concerning the extent to which each tribunal is obliged to provide written reasons for decisions disposing of proceedings.

• Read more about the consultation on the UK Government website
• Read our response (October 2024)

In January 2020 the Equality and Human Rights Commission issued technical guidance on sexual harassment and harassment at work to help employers, workers and their representatives understand how the Equality Act 2010 prohibits harassment at work. 

This guidance has now been updated to include information on the new preventative duty so that employers understand their new obligations under equality law and launched a consultation to make sure that the new section is clear and helpful.

• Read the Sexual harassment and harassment at work technical guidance
• Find out more about the consultation
• Read our response

The UK Government Department for Business and Trade launched a consultation on proposals to reaffirm that TUPE only applies to employees, and to prevent complex contract ‘splitting’ in cases where a business is split between multiple transferees.

• Find out more about the consultation
• Read our response

The UK Government launched a consultation to seek views on the rules changes that will be required to give effect to the transfer of rulemaking responsibility. 

• Read more about the consultation on the UK Government website. 
• Read our response (June 2024). 

The Ministry of Justice launched a consultation on proposals for introducing fees in the Employment Tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunal.

• Read more about the consultation on the UK Government website.
• Read our response (March 2024).

The Information Commissioner's Office is producing an online resource with topic-specific guidance on employment practices and data protection. 

• Read the draft guidance on keeping employment records on the ICO website.
• Read our response (March 2024).
• Read the draft guidance on recruitment and selection on the ICO website.
• Read our response (March 2024).

Acas issued a consultation on the draft Code of Practice on handling requests for a predictable working pattern.

• Read the consultation on the Acas website.
• Read our response (January 2024).

The Work and Pensions Select Committee launched a call for evidence on statutory sick pay

• Read the call for evidence on the UK Parliament website.
• Read our response (December 2023).

The Ministry of Justice issued a consultation seeking evidence on a range of topics covering open justice, access to data, and the transparency of our court and tribunal services.

• Read the consultation on the Ministry of Justice website.
• Read our response (September 2023)

Acas issued a consultation on the draft Code of Practice on handling requests for flexible working.

• Read the consultation on the Acas website.
• Read our response (September 2023).

The President of the Employment Appeal Tribunal launched a consultation on proposed amendments to the Employment Appeal Tribunal Rules 1993 and on a new Practice Direction for the EAT.

• Read our response.

The Department for Business & Trade launched a consultation on reforms to the Working Time Regulations, holiday pay, and the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations.

• Read the consultation on the Department for Business & Trade website.
• Read our response.

The Senior President of Tribunals (SPT) issued a consultation on proposals as to how the SPT should exercise powers to determine the composition of the employment tribunals and Employment Appeal Tribunal.

• Read the consultation on the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary website.
• Read our response.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy issued a consultation on a draft Statutory Code of Practice on Dismissal and Re-engagement.

• Read the consultation.
• Read our response.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy issued a consultation on calculating holiday entitlement for part-year and irregular hours workers.

• Read the consultation.
• View our response.

The UK Government held a consultation seeking views on proposed new legislation on seafarers’ wage protection. This protection would be achieved by introducing conditions for access to UK ports.

• Find out more on the UK Government website
• Read our response

The Cabinet Office Disability Unit issued a consultation to explore the topic of workforce reporting on disability – both voluntary and mandatory – for large employers (250 employees and above).

• View the consultation on the UK Government's website.
• Read our response.

The UK Government launched a consultation seeking views on proposals to reform flexible working regulations.

• View the consultation on the UK Government's website
• Read our response

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy issued a consultation on measures to extend the ban on exclusivity clauses in contracts of employment.

• Read the consultation
• View our response

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy issued a consultation on measures to reform post-termination non-compete clauses in contracts of employment.

• Read the consultation
• View our response

The UK government invited views on proposals to raise the mandatory retirement age for judicial office holders, including judges in courts in England and Wales, the Unified Tribunals and some other tribunals, magistrates in England and Wales and coroners in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

• Read the U.K. Government's consultation
• View the Law Society of Scotland's response (October 2020)

The U.K. Government issued a consultation on proposals to give employees a week of unpaid leave each year to provide care.

• Read the U.K. Government consultation here
• View the Law Society of Scotland's response here (August 2020)

The U.K. Government issued a consultation on the Good Work Plan: Proposals to support families – neonatal leave and pay.

• Read the U.K. Government consultation here
• View the Law Society of Scotland's response here

The U.K. Government issued a consultation on the Good Work Plan: one-sided flexibility - addressing unfair flexible working practices.

• Read the U.K. Government consultation here
• View the Law Society of Scotland's response here

The U.K. Government issued a consultation on the Good Work Plan: Proposals to support families – Transparency of flexible working and family related leave and pay policies.

• Read the U.K. Government consultation here
• View the Law Society of Scotland's response here
   

The U.K. Government issued a consultation on a Good work plan: establishing a new single enforcement body for employment rights.

• Read the U.K. Government consultation here
• View the Law Society of Scotland's response here

The UK Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has issued a consultation on proposals to improve the regulation of confidentiality clauses, also known as non-disclosure agreements or NDAs.

The UK Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has issued a consultation on extending redundancy protection for pregnant women and new parents.

• View the consultation on the GOV.UK website
• The Law Society of Scotland's response (April 2019)

The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and the Race Disparity Unit have issued a consultation on ethnicity pay reporting by employers.

• View the consultation on the GOV.UK website
• The Law Society of Scotland's response (January 2019)

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Energy has issued a consultation on how to make the employment status rules for employment rights and tax clearer for individuals and businesses.

• View the consultation on the GOV.UK website
• The Law Society of Scotland's response (June 2018)

The UK Government's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has issued a consultation on measures to increase transparency in the UK labour market.

• View the consultation on the GOV.UK website
• The Law Society of Scotland's response (May 2018)

The UK Government's Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy has issued a consultation on the recommendations in the Review of Modern Working Practices on the enforcement of employment rights.

• View the consultation on the GOV.UK website
• The Law Society of Scotland's response (May 2018)

The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy has issued a consultation to seek views on the recommendations made in the Matthew Taylor 'Review of modern employment practices' regarding agency workers.

• View the consultation on the GOV.UK website
• The Law Society of Scotland's response (May 2018)

The UK Parliament's Women and Equalities Committee has launched an inquiry on sexual harassment in the workplace.

• View the inquiry on the UK Parliament website
• The Law Society of Scotland's response (March 2018)

The Employment Tribunals has issued a judicial consultation on awards for injury to feelings and psychiatric injury following De Souza v Vinci Construction (UK) Ltd

• View the consultation document here
• The Law Society of Scotland's response (August 2017)

The Ministry of Justice has launched a consultation on proposals for an adjustment to the Help with Fees scheme to extend the scope of support available to people on lower incomes.

• View the consultation on the Ministry of Justice website
• The Law Society of Scotland's response (March 2017)