Leadership

Building culture, managing teams, and the mindset of Britain's best business leaders.

• Earned Settlement Confirmed: What the New 3, 5 and 10-Year ILR Rules Mean for Employers of Overseas Staff (Leadership, 3 November 2026)
  The Home Secretary confirmed on 2 November 2026 that settlement in the UK will take 10 years by default, cut to 5 years for people earning over £50,271 and 3 years for the highest earners. Changes start from the December Immigration Rules and roll out during 2027.
• HMRC Drops Plan for Close Companies to Report Every Payment to Directors and Shareholders (Leadership, 31 October 2026)
  The government said on 28 October 2026 that it will not introduce new rules requiring close companies to report transactions with their participators, such as dividends, loans and asset transfers, after 1,001 consultation responses showed many small companies already struggle with existing obligations.
• National Living Wage Rises to £13.21 an Hour from April 2027: What Employers Need to Budget For (Leadership, 29 October 2026)
  The National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over will rise 3.9%, or 50p, to £13.21 an hour from 1 April 2027, after the government accepted the Low Pay Commission's recommendations in full on 28 October 2026.
• Employment Rights Act: What Changes for Employers on 30 October and 1 January (Leadership, 23 October 2026)
  From 30 October 2026 employers must take "all reasonable steps" to prevent sexual harassment, including by customers. From 1 January 2027 the unfair dismissal qualifying period falls from two years to six months.
• UK Payrolls Fall by 101,000 in a Year as Vacancies Drop to 702,000 (Leadership, 15 September 2026)
  The number of payrolled employees fell by 101,000 between July 2025 and July 2026, the ONS reported on 15 September. Regular pay growth slowed to 3.5%, just 0.8% above CPI inflation.
• Hiring Young People: How the £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant Works for Employers (Leadership, 8 September 2026)
  Employers in Great Britain can claim £3,000 for each 18 to 24-year-old they hire who has been on Universal Credit and out of work for six months. The grant opened on 30 June 2026 and runs to October 2028.
• Leading Hybrid Teams in the UK: The Data, the Law and What Changes in 2027 (Leadership, 29 July 2026)
  28% of working adults in Great Britain were hybrid working in autumn 2024, rising to 45% of managers and directors. From 2027 employers will only be able to refuse flexible working requests where refusal is reasonable.