Since Thursday 1 October, employees in England and Wales have had six months, instead of three, to bring an employment tribunal claim, although the old three-month limit may still apply to problems that began before then. From Friday 30 October, employers must take "all reasonable steps" to prevent sexual harassment, and will be liable for harassment of staff by customers, clients or contractors unless they have taken reasonable steps to prevent it.

The biggest change comes on Friday 1 January 2027. Protection from unfair dismissal will then start after six months' service instead of two years, and the cap on the compensatory award, now £123,543 or a year's pay, whichever is lower, will be removed. The rule covers existing staff, so anyone hired on or before 1 July 2026 will be protected from 1 January.

Why it mattersFrom January, a hire that does not work out has to be spotted and handled properly well inside six months, allowing for notice, or an unfair dismissal claim could bring a compensatory award with no upper limit. For finance roles, where a weak hire often shows only at the first month-end or quarter-end close, that means tighter selection: proper technical testing, references that are followed up and a probation period with real reviews. Employment lawyers at Lewis Silkin suggest a probation of three or four months where possible. Candidates gain too: moving jobs no longer means waiting two years to regain protection, which may tempt more cautious finance staff to look around in 2027. For employers, the message is to review contracts, probation terms and manager training before Christmas.

3,500-job target for logistics park near Ipswich

Mid Suffolk District Council has approved detailed plans for 16 smaller warehouses on 32 hectares at Port One Logistics Park in Great Blakenham, Suffolk News reported on Friday 9 October. Developer Curzon De Vere's wider expansion of the park aims to deliver 3,500 jobs, and three units are already built and occupied.

Sizewell C money for a Suffolk training campus

Suffolk County Council said on Monday 5 October that £2.1m from a £7.8m skills fund, secured through the Sizewell C planning process, will go to East Coast College's Lound Civil Campus. The campus aims to train up to 3,000 learners in civil engineering and construction trades over five years.

Deloitte fined £6.05m over Go-Ahead audits

The Financial Reporting Council fined Deloitte £6.05m, reduced from £11m for cooperation and admissions, over its audits of transport group Go-Ahead for the financial years 2016 to 2020, AccountingWEB reported on Thursday 8 October. The regulator found the firm did not challenge management enough on accounting judgements at two train operators, London & South Eastern and London Midland, and on a German contract provision that was later restated from €8.1m to €49.5m.

Business confidence slips back below zero

ICAEW's survey of 1,000 business leaders, reported on Thursday 8 October, found confidence fell from +7.3 in late August to -0.5 by the end of the September survey period amid renewed US-Iran tensions, leaving it negative for a seventh quarter in a row. Labour costs were the second-biggest worry, named by 53% of businesses, behind geopolitical risk at 58%.