Updates

Top 5 tips for universities supporting Social Ventures 

On 9th October 2025, Bates Wells, in partnership with London Social Ventures (LSV), recently hosted an in-person panel event dedicated to exploring how universities can best support founders of social ventures. Bringing together university representatives, experienced founders, and sector experts, the event provided a platform for sharing practical insights and real-world experiences. With a lively …
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Government Opens Consultation on New ‘Earned Settlement’ Criteria

Last week, the Government published proposals on ‘earned settlement’. Under these proposals, the starting qualifying period for settlement for most migrants will increase from five to ten years. This period may be adjusted based on factors such as earnings and voluntary work. A public consultation has now been opened. The proposals appear driven by concerns …
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It’s beginning to sound a lot like Christmas…

The arrival of the festive season is usually a time for merriment but for employers it brings with it the challenges involved with sourcing additional staff. It’s important that you don’t let practices slip, otherwise, you may find yourselves in tricky situations. Here are our top tips for HR directors this festive season to help …
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Ex gratia payments – Charities Act 2022 changes coming into force

The Charity Commission has announced that the relaxations to the rules on ex gratia payments introduced in the Charities Act 2022 are – at long last – coming into force next week – on 27 November 2025.  An ex gratia payment is a payment (or giving up of an interest) which the charity doesn’t have …
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Performance management, procedural unfairness and deductions to compensation: lessons from Zen Internet Ltd v Stobart

The recent decision in Zen Internet Ltd v Stobart [2025] EAT 153 provides useful guidance for employers on the requirements of procedural fairness in a dismissal relating to poor performance (here, in the context of a senior executive). It also clarifies the timeframe within which the principle in Polkey v A.E. Dayton Services Ltd [1988] …
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Redundancy procedure: online HR1 submission mandatory from December 2025 for large scale redundancies

When an employer is proposing to make large scale redundancies (of 20 or more employees at one establishment, within a period of 90 days), it must comply with stringent statutory collective consultation rules. These include a requirement to notify the Secretary of State (via the Redundancy Payments Service) of the proposed redundancies in advance, on …
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Key immigration compliance trends for employers

On 28 October, the Home Office reported a record number of arrests for illegal working, reflecting a 63% increase in arrests and a 51% rise in visits over the past year. This initiative aligns with their objective to restore public confidence in the immigration system, with compliance efforts now also encompassing sponsors. This strategy is …
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Home Affairs Committee invites submissions of evidence on earned settlement proposals

The Government’s White Paper indicated that the qualifying period for settlement will be extended to 10 years and that they will consult later this year on how some applicants could reduce that period through their contribution to the UK economy and society. The Government has indicated that factors to be considered will include being in …
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Right to work check expansion

The government has launched their consultation here regarding the expansion of the right to work. Consultation on the expansion of right to work checks The government has opened a consultation on expanding the right to work rules. The proposed changes would extend civil penalties from employees to include sub-contractors, agency staff, and gig workers. Intended …
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Williams -v- Robson and others: Court dismisses Reform UK council candidate’s election petition

Reproduced with permission of Thomas Reuters, a version of this article was published on Practical Law. As the local elections this May drew to a close, those watching the count in one district of Worcestershire witnessed a highly unusual political spectacle: the choosing of a winning candidate by lot following an exact tie. The tied …
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Ten things you need to know about the new Code of Fundraising Practice

The new Code of Fundraising Practice (“Code”) is now in force as of 1 November 2025. The Fundraising Regulator will use the new Code when investigating complaints received on or after 1 November. We have set out the top ten things that we think organisations need to know about the new Code to help get …
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What you need to know about the new Charity Governance Code

The charity sector has had its own governance code for twenty years: the latest iteration was released today (check out the new Code here). It’s evolution, not revolution, but there are some important changes. We take a first look here: 1. It is still fundamentally what it has always been: aspirational best practice for charities. …
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