Free Webinar – Employment Rights Act 2025: The Key Changes

The Employment Rights Act 2025 received royal assent 18 December 2025, with some of the most significant changes in labour law in over a decade to take effect over the next 12 months.

This event covered the major changes and their practical implications, including changes to the rules around :

• Collective redundancy
• Fire and rehire
• Unfair dismissal claims : 6 month qualifying period, no compensation cap and longer time limits
• Zero-hours contracts : guaranteed hours/shifts
• Family and bereavement leave
• Restrictions on ‘non-disclosure agreements’
• Trade Unions and industrial action

Speakers

Rosa Thomas, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers (Chair)
Rosa is regularly instructed in all areas of employment law, including unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing, wages, and breach of contract. Rosa represents employees in final matter hearings, preliminary hearings and judicial mediations, as well as drafting settlement agreements. Before coming to the bar, Rosa worked for the national charity Age UK. This background has given her particular insight into cases concerning age discrimination, both directly and by association where employees have caring responsibilities, which she brings to her casework. Rosa has a particular interest in matters concerning discrimination on the basis of menopause.

Michael Engelhardt-Sprack, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Michael has extensive experience over many years of providing advice and advocacy in relation to employment disputes, having represented in claims for unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing, wages and breach of contract. Michael is also regularly instructed to appear in the Employment Appeal Tribunal, and has argued discrimination points in the Court of Appeal in the context of social housing. He also advises and represents employees, former employees and others in claims and applications for injunctive relief in the High Court and County Court regarding alleged breach of confidence, restrictive covenants and/or inducement. Michael has been ranked as a leading junior in the Legal 500 for employment for some years, and has represented in numerous complex and high profile employment disputes, including more recently Donaldson et al v British Airways (ET, appeal pending in EAT) and Shannon Burns v Gitpod (ET, appeal pending in EAT).

Oscar Davies (they/them), Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Oscar is an award-winning barrister and is ranked as a ‘Rising Star’ in the Legal 500. Oscar undertakes a range of civil and public law work, including employment, education, human rights, commercial and property/housing. Oscar won ‘LGBTQ+: Champion of the Year’ at the Legal 500 ESG Awards 2024. Oscar has considerable experience in belief claims. Oscar represented a claimant where the tribunal found that his political belief could be considered a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 (Moore v Southern Housing Group Limited ET 2301442-2020). Oscar recently wrote an article for the New Law Journal and the Discrimination Law Association entitled ‘Gender critical cases: making bad law?’.Oscar represents claimants in all areas, though particularly those with disabilities, or bringing sexuality or gender reassignment-related claims.