Employment Law Update 2026

📅 February 27, 2026 | 12pm GMT

Employment law expectations are shifting in 2026, and many UK employers are exposed without realising it.


Not because they’re doing anything wrong, but because the way decisions are judged has changed, around flexible working, sickness, probation and dismissal, and around process.


This focused 60-minute webinar, hosted by Emma Browning and Kerry Bonfiglio-Bains, will help you understand what’s changing, where risk shows up in everyday decisions, and what sensible steps to take now.



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Why this matters now

Most employment law issues don’t start with a policy problem. They start with a decision made under pressure. Between early 2026 and the months ahead, expectations around fairness,

documentation, and consistency are tightening. Employers are being judged not just on what decision they made, but how they made it.


Many businesses won’t realise they’re exposed until:

  • a flexible working request is challenged
  • sickness absence becomes disputed
  • a probation or dismissal decision is questioned


This session is about spotting those pressure points early, and handling them with more

confidence.

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What you’ll learn

  • What’s changing in early 2026 — and where employers are most exposed
    From day-one Statutory Sick Pay and parental leave to wage increases, redundancy penalties, and new enforcement powers — and how these changes show up in everyday decisions.


  • How sexual harassment and whistleblowing rules raise the bar on employer responsibility
    What it means to have sexual harassment explicitly protected under whistleblowing law, and what employers must now evidence to show they’ve taken “all reasonable steps”.


  • Where flexible working requests now create legal risk
    How decisions are being judged, what tribunals expect to see in your reasoning, and where well-intended refusals most often fall apart.


  • How sickness absence decisions change under day-one SSP
    Who now qualifies, what the removal of waiting days and earnings thresholds means in practice, and where employers commonly make costly mistakes.


  • What stronger enforcement and longer tribunal time limits mean for you
    How the Fair Work Agency and extended claim deadlines increase scrutiny, even months after a decision was made.
Register

Who this is for...

This webinar is designed for people who make, influence, or support people decisions,

including:


  • Business owners and directors
  • HR and people managers
  • Operations and office managers
  • Line managers with responsibility for teams


If you’re involved in hiring, managing, or exiting staff, this session is relevant.

Your Speakers

Emma Browning

Managing Director | Meraki HR

Emma is a highly qualified and experienced HR Director, with a strong and proven pedigree in delivering results to the bottom line, fast. She continues to work with clients directly and particularly likes to work with growing businesses to help them develop the right people strategy that will enable their growth, and works with business leaders/people managers who want to improve their leadership skills.


Emma is also an engaging trainer and facilitator who will create and deliver workshops on a wide range of people management topics such as Recruitment, Coaching skills for the Manager, How to have Difficult Conversations as well as How to Conduct an Effective Appraisal.


Emma is a Fellow of the CIPD and has a Postgraduate and Masters Degree. Emma recently won the Woman Who Micro Business Award in 2019 and was a finalist in two categories for the 2019 B4 Business Awards, 50 People to watch in Oxfordshire and 50 business to watch in the Innovation category.

Any of you who know and have worked with Emma, will know the high standards she works to and you can expect nothing less of her team!

Kerry Bonfiglio-Bains

Founder | Appointments Personnel

Kerry Bonfiglio-Bains is the Founder and Leader of Appointments Personnel, a well-established recruitment agency supporting businesses across Staffordshire and Cheshire. With over 25 years in recruitment, Kerry has built a reputation for practical, people-first hiring solutions that actually work in the real world.


Specialising in Accountancy & Finance, Office Support, and Manufacturing recruitment, Kerry works closely with SMEs to understand what they really need from their hires, not just the job description, but the person who will thrive in their business. Her approach is highly consultative, grounded in long-term relationships, and focused on outcomes that support sustainable growth.


Alongside leading the business day to day, Kerry oversees and mentors her recruitment team, ensuring consistently high standards of service and candidate care. She is known for her ability to spot strong talent others might miss and for representing her clients’ businesses honestly and effectively in a competitive market.


She’s deeply passionate about recruitment, her clients, and the local business community. Outside of work, she’s also a mum of three and no stranger to keeping multiple plates spinning.