Employment Rights Act
What is changing first? A new website has been launched by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) offering practical guidance and support on the changes that the Employment Rights Act will introduce and what they can do to get ready. The website provides details of upcoming changes, including several that come into […]
Could a Fiscal “Traffic Light System” Help Your Business Cut Through Uncertainty?
How to bring more structure to decision making A leading think tank has criticised the fiscal rules that the Chancellor uses to determine the government’s tax and spending plans. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has suggested that reducing complex finances to a pass‑or‑fail number misses the bigger picture. The Treasury, on the other hand, […]
Flexible Working & Employment Law Changes Under Consultation for 2026
Flexible Working & Employment Law Changes Under Consultation for 2026 In early February 2026, the UK government launched a major consultation proposing radical changes to flexible working rights under the Employment Rights Act that could have sweeping implications for UK businesses. The consultation, titled “Make Work Pay: Improving Access to Flexible Working”, seeks to make […]
Draft CBAM Rules Published
What administrative demands will CBAM bring? The government has published the draft secondary legislation for the UK’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which is due to go live on 1 January 2027. This is an important development for UK businesses importing affected materials. What is CBAM? CBAM has already been introduced in the EU […]
Falling Inflation and Potential BoE Rate Cuts
Falling Inflation and Potential BoE Rate Cuts Planning for Cost of Capital Changes in 2026 UK inflation recorded 3.0% in January 2026, the lowest rate in nearly a year, creating strong indicators that the Bank of England (BoE) could cut interest rates as soon as March 2026. This shift in monetary conditions will have broad […]
Salary Sacrifice: Good for Employers and Employees
What are the advantages for your business? With costs rising, many employers and employees are looking for practical ways to reduce outgoings without cutting benefits. Salary sacrifice can be an excellent tool to do this, but many businesses overlook it. In short, salary sacrifice lets an employee give up part of their gross […]
How Labour Market Trends Are Affecting Hiring, Pay and Strategy
How Labour Market Trends Are Affecting Hiring, Pay and Strategy The latest UK labour market data from the Office for National Statistics shows subtle but meaningful shifts that are already influencing business strategy in early 2026. The number of payrolled employees decreased by 121,000 between December 2024 and December 2025, reflecting broader uncertainties in […]
New FCA Rules for Buy Now Pay Later
Regulation will commence in July 2026 Unregulated Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) agreements will fall under full FCA regulation from 15 July 2026. For the first time, BNPL lenders will need to meet the same expectations as other consumer-credit providers. With almost 11 million UK adults using BNPL in 2024, according to an FCA […]
Business Rates Revaluation 2026: A Turning Point for UK Firms
Business Rates Revaluation 2026: A Turning Point for UK Firms As UK businesses head into spring 2026, one of the most significant cost events on the horizon is the business rates revaluation, which will take effect on 1 April 2026. The next revaluation — carried out by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) — reassesses rateable […]
Spring Forecast 2026
What does the OBR’s latest forecast mean for you? During a week dominated by news of the Middle East conflict, on 3 March 2026, Chancellor Rachel Reeves presented the Spring Forecast to Parliament. The Chancellor told MPs she had “restored economic stability” as she presented the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR’s) economic forecasts. The […]