Practice Management

Speaking to Law360, Lisa Pinney described the new super‑regulator as grounded in the labour market and taking a compliance‑first stance on enforcement. From the outset, she wants it to draw on experience from industry, trade unions and the third sector to make compliance simpler while safeguarding workers from serious exploitation. Her message was clear: the agency will support responsible businesses, but will take the toughest action against those who exploit staff or undercut fair operators. Pinney and other leaders at the Fair Work Agency confirmed that 7 April 2026 is a soft launch: a website will go live and phone numbers from the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, and the Office for the Director of Labour Market Enforcement will be redirected to the agency. Around 450 HM Revenue and Customs staff—making up most of the...

What was the background to the consultation? On 15 May 2025, the government issued a formal consultation paper setting out detailed proposed reforms to the LGPS in England and Wales, together with accompanying draft regulations to enact them. The exercise centred on changes the government plans to deliver to widen access, improve fairness and simplify administration within the LGPS across the scheme. Survivor benefits and death grants Actions to tackle the gender pension gap Opt-out data collection Forfeiture rules and provisions Outstanding matters under the McCloud remedy A suite of technical regulatory amendments The consultation formally closed on 7 August 2025, and the results were published on 2 February 2026. There were 172 responses, including 49 administering authorities, 25 employers, 68 members, the LGPS Scheme Advisory Board, the LGA, the LGPC, the LGPS National Pension Officer Group, a government department, four trade unions, plus professional bodies, and software and...

Advocate General for Scotland (Representing the Ministry of Defence) v Milroy [2026] EAT 25 What are the practical implications of this case? This ruling potentially carries significant real-world consequences for reservists who were kept outside pension entitlement for service rendered before 1 April 2015, when the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015 commenced. That said, it should be borne in mind that under the 1975 and 2005 Armed Forces Pension Schemes, which applied only to regular personnel, a two-year qualifying period was required before any pension rights arose. On the Employment Tribunal’s findings, and looking at typical annual duty days and cumulative service, most reservists would not, in any event, have met the thresholds for a pension under those earlier arrangements. When advising in a specific matter, the individual’s span of service will therefore be a critical consideration. The conclusion on the basic pay point appears poised to...

Updated in April 2026 Introduction Türkiye has stood at the centre of international politics owing to its role in the Syrian conflict along its southern border and its approach to refugees. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, as elsewhere, heavily influenced domestic policy and the economy. Disputes in the Mediterranean over the search for natural gas also stayed high on the agenda. Since the final quarter of 2018, the economy has endured recessionary conditions linked to the attempted coup d’état of 15 July 2016, marked by elevated inflation, costlier borrowing, and volatile exchange rates. Although economic projections were shaken in 2020 by the pandemic, Türkiye sought to blunt the fallout through the Economic Stability Shield programme unveiled on 18 March 2020, setting out nationwide supportive and preventative steps to lessen the economic damage, covering taxation, credit and labour-related matters. By late 2021, the Turkish lira had...

In a law firm where colleagues prize different outcomes, how do you home in on what truly energises your team? What will spur people to go the extra mile, and what could block that effort? This Practice Note looks at the core drivers of team motivation and shows that reward can mean different things to different individuals. It covers: what motivation means and why it operates differently for each person five sure-fire ways to demotivate your team how to spot signs of demotivation celebrating success and building on it tackling underperformance keeping hybrid teams motivated keeping part-time workers engaged making team meetings positive and pain-free What is motivation? Motivation is the force that propels what we do. It comprises the reasons or desires that lead us to act in a certain manner. As managers, our ability to motivate teams has limits. We do not control others, and there is no neat rulebook that will leave...

This ‘How to’ guide explains the practical management of under-performance within the workplace. It looks, in particular, at potential causes of poor performance, a manager’s duties, approaches to encouraging those who are falling short and key traps to avoid, and it summarises a formal performance procedure. Why an employer should tackle under-performance At common law, there is an implied term that an employee will be capable of carrying out the role for which they were hired. For additional detail, refer to Practice Note: Types of contractual term in employment—Employee’s implied obligations, under ‘Competence’. The core difficulty with under-performance is that the individual is either failing to do the work the employer requires, or is doing it without adequate competence......

[ To be typed on headed notepaper ] [ Insert date ] Dear [ insert name of employee ], I write further to our meeting on [ insert date ] [ , at which you were accompanied by [ insert name ] ]. During that discussion, you were advised that your performance is unsatisfactory, and the respects in which it fails to meet the expected standards were outlined. [ In particular, you were told that you have failed to meet the required improvements in performance set out in [ the performance improvement plan (‘PIP’) included in ] the written improvement notice previously sent to you dated [ insert date ] ]. You were given a full opportunity to comment on these matters......

[ To be typed on the employer’s headed notepaper ] [ Insert date ] Dear [ insert name of employee ], Re: [ insert name of employer ] (the Company) On [ insert date ], you received written notification that a final written warning had been issued to you in accordance with the Company's [ performance and capability procedure ]. That correspondence made clear that, should your performance fail to improve [ within [ 12 ] [ months OR weeks ] ], you were likely to face dismissal. I write to [ inform you of OR confirm ] the Company's decision, reached following the meeting held on [ insert date ] [ , at which you were accompanied by [ insert name ], ], that your performance remains unsatisfactory and that you will be dismissed in accordance with the Company's [ performance and capability procedure ]......

Background information Workshop/training session/presentation: [ Insert title ] Date of training activity: [ Insert date ] Your name Your role Your contact details Name of trainer/presenter: [ Insert name ] Evaluation questionnaire How would you assess the pre-event information supplied?☐ Poor ☐ Satisfactory ☐ Good ☐ ExcellentComments How would you assess the presenter’s clarity and delivery of this training?☐ Poor ☐ Satisfactory ☐ Good ☐ ExcellentComments How would you assess the handouts/course resources supplied?☐ Poor ☐ Satisfactory ☐ Good ☐ ExcellentComments Was the training set at a suitable level for you?☐ Yes ☐ NoComments Did the session match your expectations?☐ Yes ☐ NoComments Would you suggest this training to a colleague?☐ Yes ☐ NoComments On a 1–5 scale, where 1 is very poor and 5 is excellent, how would you score this training?☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5Comments Do you plan to make any changes as a result of this course?☐ Yes ☐...

IR35 The off-payroll IR35 framework applies where: from 6 April 2017, the engager is a public authority; and from 6 April 2020, a private sector organisation (other than one that is ‘small’) hires a worker via an intermediary, for example a personal service company (PSC). The legislation takes effect in respect of payments made on or after those dates, even where such payments relate to services delivered before those dates. This applies without regard to precisely when the work was performed. In essence, and in practical terms, the off-payroll IR35 rules move the task of deciding whether IR35 applies from the PSC to the end client in relevant cases and, where IR35 does apply, they place the duty to deduct income tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs) on the party nearest to the PSC in the contractual chain (whether that is the end client...

What is a DCFA? Most practitioners know the ‘pure’ CFA, commonly referred to as a ‘no win, no fee’ agreement. Working under a pure CFA, the lawyer or legal representative is remunerated only upon a win, as the CFA expressly defines it. If that outcome is not achieved, no fee is payable for the professional work undertaken on the matter. For additional detail, see the subtopic: CFAs and DBAs for further information. A DCFA is often described as a ‘no win, lower fee’ arrangement in contrast to the pure CFA. Under a DCFA, the client agrees to meet the lawyer’s fees in full on success; if the case fails, a reduced fee is payable to the representative. The role of success fees Success fees exist to ensure a solicitor’s portfolio of CFA-backed litigation can operate at nil net loss overall. Put...

For guidance on entitlement to statutory annual leave under the Working Time Regulations 1998 (SI 1998/1833), and on methods of calculation, refer to Practice Notes: Statutory paid holiday—the right and Statutory paid holiday—calculating holiday pay. For details on recourse where statutory sick pay (SSP) and contractual sick pay are not paid, see the ‘Remedies’ section of Practice Note: Sick pay......