Britain is facing a surge in people taking their employers to court, with claims up 55% year on year, following Angela Rayner’s sweeping workers’ rights reforms. The Telegraph has the story.
Employment claims increased by 55% in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period last year, new official figures show.
It comes after Labour’s Employment Rights Act obtained Royal Assent in December. It represents the biggest expansion of workers’ rights in over a decade, giving employees new protections over statutory sick pay, unfair dismissal and zero-hours contracts.
The overhaul – which was championed by the former deputy prime minister – has been praised by unions, with the Trades Union Congress claiming that Labour is delivering “vital common-sense reforms for millions of people across the country”.
However, it threatens to pile more pressure on employment tribunals which are already facing an influx of claims.
Jo Mackie, Employment Law Partner at Michelmores, said: “The increase in claims will happen as employment rights are spoken about more openly as they have been in the last two years during preparation for legal changes.”
Many of the reforms under the Employment Rights Act are still in secondary legislation.
Mackie said growing discussion of these reforms meant that “more people [will] become aware of practices that may be in breach of employment law”.
Imogen Finnegan, Senior Consultant with workplace and commercial disputes law firm Bellevue Law, warned that the recent explosion in employment claims risked resulting in “longer timelines, increased costs and prolonged uncertainty” for employers.
She said this could also delay tribunal decisions for employees with genuine claims.
Worth reading in full.
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How to destroy employment in the UK
Massively increase employer’s NI
Increase minimum wage
Give workers more rights and make that start from day 1
Comprehensive guide, thanks for sharing: share this
Is the answer to put all employees on 12 month contracts so if they cause trouble the contract is not renewed.
If we are a Country of equal Rights, and we have Workers’ Rights, shouldn’t there be Employers’ Rights? Or in fact nobody should have their own Rights – we should all have the same Rights.
France went down this road years ago: chronic overall unemployment rate 10%; 16 to 25 year olds, 26%. Big success.
Employers won’t take the risk with first time employed young people because they have no employment references and if they are no good, the employer can’t fire them.
Higher costs to employers mean they keep work forces to a minimum. In the UK for example supermarkets have plenty of staff to restock shelves continually and during the night. In France it’s once a week and never during the night.
Good are often on back-order as producers cannot supply fast enough due to 35 hour week regulations, and minimised staffing.
The clowns in charge who have never run a business, expect employers to behave in a manner to achieve the outcomes their idiot legislation intends. But employers have agency and they will respond in a manner that best serves their interests not the intentions of politicians.
Expect unemployment rates to… Read more »
”It represents the biggest expansion of workers’ rights in over a decade, giving employees new protections over statutory sick pay, unfair dismissal and zero-hours contracts.”
This is rubbish. Typical shallow, cut ‘n paste journalism.
Workers have had those rights for years. What Labour has done is to remove the waiting period so, now, employees with help and encouragement from unions, left wing charities and tax payer funded lawyers can make life hell for employers after as little as an hour in employment.
The consequence is to destroy businesses, destroy jobs and create tension between employers, managers and employees. An ideal outcome for Labour.
Oh those evil employers! Just as well the 1.8m unemployed don’t have to put up with them.
Source:Working and workless households in the UK: October to December 2025
BTW: 14.1% workless of 21.92 million households is 3.1 million. They claim 1.8m unemployed but there’s at least 3.1m ‘workless’.
Well done Ange.
They count unemployed as receiving benefits.
It’s higher than that, isn’t it?
If 26.2% of 21.93 million houses have one or more people out of work, that’s a minimum of 5.75 million people and then (assuming the 14% are within the 26%), if more than half of those have two or more, you can make that nearly 9 million, I think?
Yes. Assume only one ‘workless’ person per household as I don’t want to be accused of exaggeration. 21.92 x (14.1% + 26.2%) = 8.8 million minimum.
However, that will include households that are old-style ‘traditional’ with one breadwinner and a housewife/husband.
The point I was trying to get to was that with 3.1m completely workless households and (only) an official 1.8m ‘unemployed’ (on job seekers’ allowance, I presume) there must be at least 1.3m not working nor seeking work so either totally unable to work and/or content with the benefits or black economy income they get. As you point out, that number is probably a lot higher.