Employment Snapshot November 2025
Thursday 13th November 2025
Welcome to Gordons Employment Team’s latest update
This month we cover:
- Has your organisation fulfilled its obligations to prevent sexual harassment?
- How to get prepared for the Home Office crackdown on illegal workers, and
- Could your self-employed contractor really be an employee?
Plus,
Read employment lawyer, Oliver Allanach‘s recent piece in HR Magazine.
Has your organisation fulfilled its obligations to prevent sexual harassment?
As Christmas party season approaches, employers are encouraged to review their current practices to ensure compliance with their duty to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.
Home office crackdown on illegal workers
The Home Office is intensifying efforts to tackle illegal working in the UK, particularly targeting the ‘gig economy’ and sectors with high numbers of temporary or casual workers. Any non-compliance could lead to severe penalties, prompting businesses to review and strengthen their verification processes ahead of the regulatory changes.
Currently, only traditional employer-to-employee contracts must verify right to work status, but from 2026, this obligation will extend to self-employed contractors.
Our employment, regulatory and data protection teams can help you in with any Home Office investigations and ensure you are prepared for next year’s regulations.
Could your self-employed contractor really be an employee?
In the recent case of Partnership of East London Co-operatives Ltd v Maclean, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) decided that a nurse who had been classified as self-employed was, in fact, both an employee and a worker, enabling her to file claims with the Employment Tribunal (ET).
Oliver Allanach featured in HR Magazine
Employment lawyer, Oliver has written an article for HR Magazine on safeguarding employee data. Considering the recent string of high-profile data breaches, Oliver highlights the risks associated and what HR professionals need to do if there is a data breach. Read the article here
If you require any further information on the above topics, please do not hesitate to get in contact with a member of the Employment Team.
