Human Times

UK Edition

6th April 2026

THE HOT STORY

Workers' rights reforms spark disruption fears

The new Employment Rights Act, effective today, introduces significant changes that may disrupt employers. Key reforms include statutory sick pay (SSP) from day one of illness and paternity leave as a 'day one right'. Business groups warn these changes could hinder growth and exacerbate job losses amid rising costs from National Insurance and minimum wage increases. Neil Carberry, chief executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, said: "The pressure on firms right now is to reduce employment and raise prices to make ends meet." Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer has launched a strong defence of the new workers' rights, criticising business figures opposing the changes. The Prime Minister described the measures as the most significant enhancement of workers' rights in a generation.

The Guardian

Daily Mail

WORKFORCE

Payroll tax income surges to £200bn

The Government has seen its income from payroll tax increase by nearly 40% to £200bn since the pandemic. HMRC data shows that National Insurance contributions (NICs) reached £198bn for the year ending February 2026, up from £143bn in 2019/20. In the past year, receipts have risen by 15% after the earnings threshold at which NICs kick in was lowered to £5,000 and the main rate paid by employers rose to 15%. Robert Salter from Blick Rothenberg said that while the Chancellor "likes to claim that the increase in employers' NIC isn't a 'tax on working people', economists would generally agree that increases in employer social security costs increases joblessness," adding: "Increases in employer social security costs increases joblessness." Overall tax receipts are projected to reach a postwar high of 38.5% of GDP by 2030/31, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility.

The Times

Care leavers three times more likely to be unemployed

Former Health Secretary Alan Milburn, who is leading a Government-commissioned investigation into youth unemployment and inactivity, has said that official data shows that more than 40% of young people who have left care are not in education, employment or training (NEET), three times the rate of their peers, and are more likely to be unemployed later in life. "Far too many care leavers are hitting a cliff edge just as they move into adulthood", Mr Milburn said. "A 41%'NEET' rate among care leavers is not an outcome we get to quietly accept", he added, "It is a broken promise, written in data. If we cannot get this right for a group we are directly responsible for, we must be honest that the system is not failing by accident, it is failing by design."

The I

HEALTH & SAFETY

Retailers sound alarm over violence against staff

Iceland chairman Lord Walker has called for shop security guards to be equipped with pepper spray and truncheons to combat rising levels of retail crime, amid growing concern over violence against frontline staff. In an interview with the Times, Lord Walker said incidents of abuse and assault were increasingly severe, stating: "We call it shoplifting, which sounds like a cheeky bit of pilfering, but actually we should just call it out for what it is, which is violent crime." His comments echo warnings from Marks & Spencer that employees face daily threats. Meanwhile, the chief executive of the Institute of Customer Service has also warned that workers are facing violence and abuse from customers every day, and accused the Government of failing to take the issue seriously. Jo Causon said "abuse, hostility and criminal behaviour" towards frontline workers across retail, transport, hospitality and other sectors is going unpunished, adding: "When will this Government wake up and say enough is enough?"

Financial Times

The Times

City A.M.

Waitrose sacks worker after shoplifting incident

A long-serving employee at Waitrose was dismissed after a confrontation with a suspected shoplifter at its Clapham Junction store. The worker attempted to stop a theft involving Easter eggs, leading to a brief struggle before the suspect fled. He later said frustration at repeated thefts prompted his actions, despite company guidance not to intervene. Waitrose said its policies are designed to protect staff, citing risks of injury when challenging offenders. The case comes amid wider concern over rising retail crime, with over 519,000 shoplifting offences recorded in England and Wales last year. Retailers including Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury's have also highlighted increasing incidents and staff safety concerns.

The Daily Telegraph

London Evening Standard

The Guardian

The Times

REMUNERATION

Supermarkets urged to restore real living wage

Major UK supermarkets are being urged to align worker pay with the voluntary real living wage, currently set at £13.45 nationally and £14.80 in London. Campaign group ShareAction says several retailers have moved away from the benchmark despite recent pay increases ahead of the National Minimum Wage rise to £12.71. Chains including Tesco, Sainsbury's and Marks & Spencer now pay above minimum wage but below the living wage. In contrast, Aldi and Lidl continue to meet or exceed it. Retailers highlight significant wage growth in recent years, but campaigners warn declining alignment with living wage standards could impact low-paid workers.

The I

NASUWT calls for longer maternity pay

NASUWT general secretary Matt Wrack has called for full maternity pay for teachers to be increased to 26 weeks across the UK - saying it is a "national scandal" that many teachers who leave the profession cite poor maternity support. While the Department for Education (DfE) has announced that maternity pay will rise from four to eight weeks from the 2027/28 academic year, Mr Wrack said the "truth is that many parts of the public sector and the private sector already have much better maternity provision. So doubling from not much still leaves us with - not much."

The Guardian

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

Gender pay gap widens at major banks

The gender pay gap has increased at four major UK retail banks - Monzo, Nationwide, Santander, and TSB, according to data submitted to the Government's gender pay gap reporting service. Analysis of data showing instances where women's median hourly pay has fallen behind men's shows that the financial and insurance sector has the highest gender pay gap, at 22.3%. HSBC reported the steepest gap, at 45.3% - with the data covering its investment and wholesale arms but not its consumer bank. Barclays' gender pay gap shrank to 28%, from 30.6% last year; NatWest's narrowed to 26.2% from 27.3%; and Lloyds Banking Group's closed slightly to 35% from 35.5%. The only retail bank that saw its gender pay gap come in narrower that the national average of 6.9% was Starling Bank, with a discrepancy of 6.1%. As of next year, employers will be required to outline the actions they are taking to address the gap when they log their pay data.

The Observer

UK gender pay gap widens at Clifford Chance and McKinsey

Clifford Chance and McKinsey are among the City firms to have reported widening gender pay gaps, despite the median income disparity at the UK's large employers falling to a record low of 8.2%.

Financial Times

PRODUCTIVITY

MHA links promotions and bonuses to AI

Accounting firm MHA has linked staff promotions and partner bonuses to the effective use of AI, saying it will evaluate how staff are utilising the technology. Noting that AI is "already having a significant impact on our operations," chief executive Rakesh Shaunak said: "We have made the successful employment of AI a key metric for promotion and progression at all levels of the firm." He added that this "could mean managers using AI to radically reduce the time spent on preparing for and running meetings, or more junior employees proposing using AI to greatly enhance the scope of a particular audit test or the efficacy of tax compliance."

The Sunday Times

AI tools transform trades

AI tools are becoming essential for tradespeople, with 18% using them daily. A report by Sage reveals that builders (73%), electricians (71%), and plumbers (63%) rely on digital tools for tasks like data analysis and customer messaging. Nearly a third use AI for cost calculations, while over 40% simplify recordkeeping and invoicing.

The Times

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Outgoing Vistry chair sees pay double

Greg Fitzgerald, the outgoing executive chairman of affordable housing provider Vistry, saw his pay rise to £2m in 2025 from £875,000 in 2024, despite the company delivering fewer homes. Mr Fitzgerald, who has been criticised for combining the roles of chairman and chief executive, is being replaced as chair by existing board member Rob Woodward. He will stay on as chief executive for another year or until a successor is found. It is noted that auditors are facing scrutiny from the Financial Reporting Council over forecasting and financial reporting at Vistry which resulted in a £165m miscalculation.

The Mail on Sunday

Khoury-Haq paid £1.9m before Co-op exit

Shirine Khoury-Haq, the former CEO of the Co-op, received a £1.9m pay package in 2025, including a £165,000 bonus that rewarded growth, despite the company reporting a £125m loss due to a cyber-attack. Ms Khoury-Haq and other executives did not receive their regular bonus, with the board saying the company had not met an "affordability underpin" to make the payout. However, her total pay did include a long-term performance bonus linked to previous years. Ms Khoury-Haq has denied that her resignation after four years heading the company was linked to the allegations of a toxic culture, insisting that opting to leave "was very much a personal decision." Kate Allum, a Co-op board member, will step in as the interim chief executive while a permanent replacement is sought.

The Guardian

OpenAI reshuffles leadership

OpenAI is reshaping its leadership as it prepares for further growth and a potential IPO. Chief operating officer Brad Lightcap will move into a new special projects role focused on enterprise expansion, reporting directly to CEO Sam Altman, while chief revenue officer Denise Dresser will take on more of his operational responsibilities in a shift toward greater commercialisation. At the same time, the company faces temporary leadership gaps, with Fidji Simo, who oversees the company’s applications division, and Kate Rouch, its chief marketing officer, on medical leave.

City A.M.

LEGAL

Trust breached Treasury rules on confidentiality clauses

Schools Week reports that BMAT Education is believed to have become the first trust to have been found to have broken new rules on confidentiality clauses for departing staff. The trust's latest accounts show that a settlement above the £50,000 threshold above which approval from the Department for Education (DfE) is required was signed off without that approval, including a confidentiality clause that contravened Treasury guidance. Jean Boyle from the law firm Stone King warns that "greater clarity" is needed over the new rules, and that trusts "remain unclear as to whether consent is required when an employee requests confidentiality provisions".

Schools Week

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