Employment Law +
Market-leading training, knowledge, and news at your fingertips.
ERB to return to Lords on 17 November
In what could be the final stage for the ERB, it will return to the Lords for consideration on Monday 17 November. The Lords would disrupt Parliamentary convention if they continue to reinstate amendments to the ERB which contain government manifesto commitments. The Lords disagree most strongly on the introduction of ‘day one’ unfair dismissal rights and prefer a six-month minimum service qualification period. Despite Parliamentary convention, motions have been tabled to again push the Lords’ preferred position. We will provide an update in next week’s briefing but the very keen may want to keep an eye on Parliamentlive.tv where the ERB debate will be live streamed.
Report forecasts AI impact on workforces
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development reports that one in six surveyed employers expect AI to shrink their workforce over the next year, with junior roles facing the greatest risk. While recognising the benefits of AI in the workplace, the CIPD urges the government to support workers most likely to be affected by AI and to ensure the November budget and ERB do not undermine hiring plans. The CIPD includes this AI report in its autumn labour market outlook analysis, noting that employees in 76% of UK organisations already use AI tools at work. So far, analysts have often focused on forward-looking forecasts that make generalised predictions about AI’s impact on workforce structures. Different forecasts predict both job creation and job losses. This forecast stands out because it draws on recent feedback from UK employers who confirm that their employees are actively using AI.
Increases to immigration sponsorship fees
Immigration sponsorship fees slightly increased on 11 November, with uplifts to priority fees for sponsorship requests. This week’s uplift to immigration sponsorship fees precedes the more substantial change to the sponsorship skills charge scheduled for 16 December 2025, which will see a 32% uplift each time a migrant worker is sponsored. Licensed sponsors are advised to consider which workers may require sponsorship within the next six months, and whether Certificates of Sponsorship can be assigned early to avoid the higher fees from December.
OEUK introduces a safe weight limit for offshore workers
Offshore Energies UK, the trade association for the UK offshore energy industry, is introducing a safe weight limit policy for offshore workers. OEUK developed the new offshore weight limit policy through cross-industry collaboration. It sets a clothed weight limit of 124kg for offshore workers on UK installations. OEUK explains that the increasing weight of the workforce poses a risk of exceeding the safe design weight for offshore safety and rescue equipment. OEUK will implement the policy in phases and in the initial phase, which has already started, medical examiners will advise workers above 110kg about the policy limit. From 1 November 2026, employers must ensure that workers do not mobilise offshore if their clothed weight exceeds the limit.
This page is updated weekly with News and Views from that week’s employment weekly briefing email. For previous articles, please contact us: Employment Law Plus.
Useful links:
Employment law horizon watching | Upcoming employment law changes