Natasha Etcell

Immigration White Paper to reduce net migration – what does this mean for employers?

The government released its White Paper on legal migration entitled ‘Restoring Control over the Immigration system’ on 12 May with a wide range of proposed reforms. These include restoring the Skilled Worker minimum skill level to degree level and increasing minimum salaries, restricting permission on the Graduate route to 18 months, raising the Immigration Skills Charge …
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When the professional becomes personal: balancing expectations for the incoming workplace generation

March 2025 marks the annual “B Corp Month” campaign, which aims to celebrate the 10,000 certified “B Corporations” around the globe, that “use business as a force for good”. This year’s campaign highlights “Generation B” – a new generation of individuals within the workforce who are striving to “create a better future” and “drive positive …
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Chetal Patel urges cultural sector to support international creatives seeking moves to UK and boost film and television sector growth

While immigration remains a hot topic in the UK, Bates Wells is calling for the creative sector to lead in championing initiatives that increase the film and TV industry’s diversity. The UK’s film and television industry brings in more than £18 billion to the UK economy and supports almost 300,000 jobs. It is a fast-growing …
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Contemplating redundancies? Top tips for employers

In the wake of a number of well-known companies and charities announcing plans to cut jobs over the past few weeks, and the Guardian newspaper reporting that UK employers are preparing for the biggest redundancy round in a decade amid declining business confidence and tax increases coming into force in April 2025, it seems that …
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Navigating the expression of protected beliefs and social media use in the workplace: lessons from Higgs v Farmor’s School [2025] EWCA Civ 109

The question of how to navigate the expression of protected beliefs in the workplace, particularly where those beliefs may not be universally shared or agreed with by co-workers, remains a hot topic for employers; not least in the context of balancing “gender critical” beliefs and the rights of transgender individuals.  This issue has become all …
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Two thirds of architect practices cannot pay new rates to sponsor overseas skilled workers

Law firms Bates Wells and Kingsley Napley are urging Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to respond to their letter, sent 16 December 2024 (see here), which highlighted the concerns of clients in the architect sector about the impact of minimum salary threshold changes on their ability to recruit and retain the right talent. The architect industry …
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Bates Wells signs partnership with Aspiring Solicitors and becomes a founding member of the Social Mobility SMART Legal Commitment initiative

Bates Wells has joined a core founding cohort of law firms to launch the Social Mobility and Real Talent Commitment (SMART Commitment) delivered by Aspiring Solicitors. The SMART Legal Commitment aims to help vacation scheme students and future trainees who face financial challenges in advancing their legal careers. As part of the commitment, Bates Wells …
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Age verification measures to regulate pornography – the latest from Ofcom and the Online Safety Act 2023

Pornography legislation has long been an emotive and contentious topic, with no consensus as to the correct approach to regulation. Measures must strike a delicate balance, upholding rights such as free speech, privacy and adult autonomy against the responsibility to protect vulnerable individuals from associated harms. What happened to regulation under the Digital Economy Act …
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What’s in a name: Reconsidering the public interest in naming individuals in the press in the era of social media

In this thought piece, Natasha Davies and Emily Wilson consider the constitutional and human rights issues raised by the anonymisation of the family court judges who made decisions about the Sharif children prior to Sara Sharif’s murder. Currently, the leading case regarding the anonymity of judges upholds the principle that “where open justice prevails so …
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Strategic litigation: Driving change and positive impact. January 2025

Over the past six months there continues to be an appetite to use the tools of strategic litigation to create accountability and address harms. We’re using this roundup to share information about key updates and insights in the area through litigation and policy action. Strategic litigation has had a significant impact on decision-making, policy setting, …
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Positives and pitfalls: Ofqual consults on introducing a Principles Condition to the General Conditions of Recognition

Awarding Organisations (AOs) and others involved in the awarding and qualifications industry have a few weeks left to respond to Ofqual’s consultation on the introduction of a ‘Principles Condition’ to its General Conditions of Recognition (‘GCOR’), the rules Ofqual imposes upon AOs it regulates. In this blog we consider the implications and what some positives …
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Bates Wells helped Sea Ranger Service agree a new partnership with The Crown Estate

During autumn 2024 Bates Wells helped the Sea Ranger Service agree a new partnership with The Crown Estate, and the first project is now underway. The Crown Estate has deployed Sea Ranger, which are young maritime trainees, to carry out wildlife monitoring in the Celtic Sea as part of a multi-year surveying programme in support …
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