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The recent employment dispute involving Channel 5, ITN and former presenter Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije – alongside allegations initially made against Dan Walker – provides a useful case study in how employment law operates in practice, particularly in relation to harassment claims, settlement agreements, and vicarious liability. Vanderpuije brought claims of unfair dismissal, discrimination, harassment on grounds of race and sex, and breach of contract following her departure from Channel 5 News. She also alleged that she had been subject to a “toxic” workplace culture and that her dismissal was linked to whistleblowing about these issues. However, shortly before a five-week employment …

When a well-known brand announces closures, the public conversation is usually predictable. Attention turns to the sites shutting, the jobs lost and the broader health of the sector. All understandable. Employment lawyers focus tends to turn to process! This week, Franco Manca confirmed the closure of 16 restaurants across the UK, including Glasgow, with around 225 jobs affected as part of a restructuring. For those impacted, the story is immediate and personal. For other employers, particularly SME leaders dealing with rising costs and sharper margins, it should prompt a different question: If we had to do this, would we do …

After a protracted period of parliamentary “ping-pong”, the Employment Rights Act 2025 (ERA 2025) received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025. It forms part of the Government’s wider Plan to Make Work Pay agenda and is being implemented in phases, with a significant first wave having taken effect in April 2026. In this blog, we highlight the main changes now in force and the practical steps you should consider taking in response. What has changed? 1) Collective redundancy: protective awards double If you are planning (or already running) a restructure involving collective consultation, the stakes are now higher. Since 6 …

BTO Solicitors LLP has joined the Pathways Pledge as part of its seventh cohort, supporting a growing network of organisations working to widen access to entrepreneurship across Scotland. Over the next 12 months, this new group will support Pathways Forward’s mission to deliver systemic change for entrepreneurs in Scotland by boosting access to opportunity, networks and investment for female-led and female-founded businesses. BTO joins a wide range of organisations from across the ecosystem aligned through the Pledge. Its involvement complements the work BTO’s team is already doing to drive inclusion and diversity and by focusing on collaboration and measurable actions, …

For the health and care sectors, a modest wording change in sponsor guidance (valid from 8 April 2026) may have significant implications for how providers manage bank staff, agency cover, contractors and other “direct engagements”. At a glance The Home Office now expressly refers to workers a sponsor may “employ or directly engage”. “Directly engage” is undefined, which leaves sponsors to interpret how far this extends beyond traditional employment. Contracting and procurement practices may need to be reviewed so the right teams trigger right to work checks at the right time. A documented approach to borderline cases can help reduce …

A groundbreaking collaboration between NetworkRail and two telecoms companies, Neos Networks and Freshwave, is aimed at enhancing mobile network connectivity alongside Britain’s busiest railway lines. The project, officially unveiled by the Department for Transport in June 2025, builds on the government’s Plan for Change, focused amongst others on improving Britain’s infrastructure with higher public and private investment. In line with those ambitions, the main goals of Project Reach will be improving passenger experience by tackling persistent connectivity blackspots on main railway lines across Britain and building a digital connectivity backbone fit for UK’s modern digital aspirations. Although the project is …

Why your first payslip now matters for sponsor licence compliance Scottish tech companies are increasingly reliant on global talent to address skills shortages in software engineering, data, AI, and cyber security. Recent changes to Home Office sponsor guidance mean that even well‑intentioned employers could now face scrutiny for something as routine as how a first payslip is calculated. Updates linked to HC 1691 shift the focus of Skilled Worker salary assessment away from headline annual figures and towards what is actually paid in each pay period. This sits alongside wider sponsor duties, including right to work checking, and applies to …

Over the course of the last year, the Government review of copyright and artificial intelligence has generated a significant amount of press coverage. AI continues to receive more than its fair share of column inches as progress continues apace and the law inevitably struggles to keep up with developments in technology.  However, the Government’s desire to make the UK one of the nations at the forefront of AI innovation and to attract investment into the economy, has highlighted both the need for regulation of AI and also the delicate balancing act that is required to ensure that a culture of …