5 Coffee Break Reads:

1. AI-generated employment complaints, should you resolve or fight them? 🤖
2. Supreme Court Update ⚖️
3. NI's smallest firms are feeling the squeeze 😬
4. ICO sets out its two-year plan, what's in store? 📋
5. Leaving with leave, what do employers actually need to know? 🏖️

In other news................O'Gorman v Belfast Film Festival Ltd is in - NI's latest political opinion case just got its judgment 👀

DON'T FORGET: Hub subscribers get 2 free places at this Autumn’s Skill Builder for HR sessions. 💡

1. Annual Review of Employment Law 2026
2. Case Law Reviews
3. AI and Employment Law
4. Skill Builder for HR: Workplace Coaching Skills
5. Supreme Court Update
6. Economic Outlook
7. £1.45 million award following Goldman Sachs discrimination claim
8. Proposed changes to the Acas Code of Practice - an unexpected ally in tackling AI-inspired grievances?
9. The ICO sets its plans for next two years: Education sector guide
10. Just in Case You Missed It...
11. HR Developments
12. Employment News in the Media
13. GB Developments
14. Free Webinars This Month

Session of the Week: AI-Generated Employment Complaints – to Resolve or Fight?

Gareth Walls, Partner A&L Goodbody LLP and Scott Alexander, Scott Alexander Mediation Plus explore the rise of AI-generated workplace complaints, offering their take on how employers should resolve concerns.

FIND OUT MORE

Jargon‑free employment law insights that make your job easier

The must attend  HR event of the year is back - 5 November 2026! 

Our Annual Review of Employment Law is the cornerstone event for HR professionals. Join us at the Crowne Plaza, Belfast or tune in with coffee in hand from your desk. Either way, you’ll access the insights that matter most, brought to you by expert speakers.

EARLY BIRD RATE available until 10th September 2026 at 5:00pm.

BOOK YOUR PLACE

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O’Gorman v Belfast Film Festival Ltd [2026] NIFET 83/23

Summary Description: 

Claim of discrimination relating to political opinion was dismissed as the decisions relating to the claimant were made for reasons other than her political opinions.

Claimant: 

Sara O’Gorman

Respondent: 

Belfast Film Festival Ltd

Practical Guidance for Employers:

A high profile claim which caught some of the news headlines as it was going through the Tribunal.  The Tribunal decision focuses on the issue of causation and whether the decisions made in relation to the claimant were due to her political opinion or due to other factors.  For all of the arguments, it was found that the decisions were made due to a range of other factors ranging from stakeholder concerns to operational and resource matters.   This provides an important learning point in ensuring that the rationale for decisions are made clearly so as to show that it is for resource reasons or matters relating to operational policies/contracts rather than reasons relating to protected characteristics.

Read the Review in full: O’Gorman v Belfast Film Festival Ltd [2026]

Obibi v Belfast Health and Social Care Trust [2026] NIIT 17961/24

Summary Description: 

Unfair dismissal claim presented out of time and time not extended as the claimant’s medical evidence did not specifically show a consistent state in which she could not present the claim.

Claimant: 

Euore Obibi

Respondent: 

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

Practical Guidance for Employers:

Another time limits case and one in which the focus points are clear from the Tribunal.  The Tribunal will consider the medical evidence in detail rather than the general view that may be given in evidence, they will also consider the extent to which the claimant could have researched their own rights as well as their access to outside support.  Bearing in mind these factors, they pointed towards the fact that it was reasonably practicable for the claimant to have submitted in time and as a result the claim was dismissed.

Read the Review in full: Obibi v Belfast Health and Social Care Trust [2026]

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These case reviews were written by Jason Elliott BL.  NI Tribunal decisions are available on the OITFET website.

If you have any queries or wish to comment on the reports please feel free to contact Jason at: jasondelliott@outlook.com 

Jason Elliott was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in 2013 and is the Associate Head of School of Law at Ulster University. As a practising barrister, he has developed a largely civil practice representing individuals, companies and public bodies in litigation.  This covers a wide range of areas including personal injuries, wills and employment law. In terms of employment law, he has represented both applicants and respondents in the Industrial Tribunal.   At Ulster University, Jason lectures extensively on the civil areas of practise such as Equity and Trusts and delivers employment law lectures for both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Remember: Our case law reviews are held in our case law section on our fully-searchable employment law hub website.

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Worker barred from using AI to draft complaints against employer

A worker in Australia has been banned from using AI to draft “accusatory” complaints against her employer, in what has been described as an “unprecedented” move. The Fair Work Commission, Australia’s national workplace relations tribunal, has ruled that the Queensland caretaker, Deidre de Bruyn, should not continue to use AI to generate complaints against her employer because they were so “lengthy, wide-ranging, replete with generalisations, repetitive, and often couched in accusatory language”. More from Personnel Today.

AI for HR Weekly Podcast with Barry Phillips 🎙️

This week's episode:

Hub subscribers are beginning to request that our Chairman, Barry covers a particular AI topic in a future podcast. If you have a request, send it to him directly at barry@legal-island.com - he’ll feel like a DJ from the 80s…...🎧

You can tune into the latest episode right here - or, if you’re on the move, why not take us with you?

Listen on all major platforms: 🎧 Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Simply search for “AI for HR Weekly Podcast” and enjoy expert insights anytime, anywhere.

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Your Skill Builder perk is back: 

• Get 2 free places at this Autumn’s Skill Builder for HR sessions. Even if you used your Spring allocation.
• Multi-user subscribers: each named user gets their own free places.
• Share with colleagues using code "HubGift". Just add places to your cart and enter the code at checkout for £0.
• Check your recent email for session details and claiming instructions (and your spam folder, just in case).

Find out more about all the upcoming Skill Builder for HR sessions HERE. 

Skill Builder for HR: Workplace Coaching Skills

📅26 August 2026

🕒 12:30 - 14:00 (1 hour 30 mins)

📍 Live online 
 
Led by Marie Ferris of Thrive Coaching & Development, this practical Skill Builder session will help you develop workplace coaching skills you can apply immediately to performance conversations, employee development, and manager support. You'll leave with a simple framework and techniques to make your conversations more focused, productive, and impactful.

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Supreme Court ruling: when is a Home Office illegal working penalty invalid?

The Supreme Court has ruled that a Home Office civil penalty notice for illegal working was invalid because it did not clearly explain why the employer was said to be liable. In Akbars Restaurant (Middlesbrough) Limited v Secretary of State for the Home Department, the Home Office issued a £15,000 penalty after deciding that the restaurant had employed someone who did not have permission to work in the UK. The notice listed several possible reasons why a person might not be allowed to work but did not say which reason applied in this case. The court held that this was not good enough. Employers must be told, in the penalty notice itself, the specific basis on which the Home Office says they are liable. Without that information, an employer cannot properly decide whether to object, appeal or pay the penalty. More from Chambers.

Supreme Court allows appeal over part-time workers’ discrimination protection

The Supreme Court has allowed the appeal of a taxi driver in a landmark employment case involving the rights of part-time workers. Ruling unanimously this morning, the court found that a part-time worker’s status can be an effective cause of less favourable treatment but does not have to be the sole cause. Taxi driver Warren Augustine brought an employment tribunal claim against his former employer Data Cars Limited. Augustine paid Data Cars a ‘circuit fee’ of £148 each week for access to its booking dispatch system. The fee was the same for all drivers, regardless of whether they were full- or part-time.  You can read more from the Law Gazette. 

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UK employment market shows ‘rays of light’ for jobseekers with upturn in pay, study shows 

There are signs of improvement in the UK jobs market, with an upturn in pay and the first rise in temporary vacancies in two years as employers sought more flexibility. Permanent job placements stabilised in July and temporary billings rose further, at the fastest pace since early 2023, according to a monthly survey from KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Federation. More here from the Guardian.

And.......

Smallest NI firms feel the strain

While most firms in Northern Ireland remained profitable in Q2 26, a significant minority were under pressure. Survey findings published by NI Chamber and Queen’s University show that the strain falls most heavily on the smallest firms.  Just 62% of micro firms (fewer than 10 staff) report trading well or reasonably, against 88% of small firms and 89% of those with 50 or more staff. Micro firms are also more than three times as likely to be just covering costs or struggling. You can read more from NI Chambers and Queen’s University’s research.

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In Mr J Reeves v Goldman Sachs International (Case No. 2209024/2022), the Employment Tribunal awarded approximately £1.45 million after finding that Goldman Sachs had unfairly dismissed Mr. Reeves and directly discriminated against him because he took an extended period of contractual parental leave. The decision is an important reminder that employees taking parental leave are entitled to the same career opportunities and treatment as colleagues who remain at work. It also demonstrates the potentially significant financial consequences where discriminatory treatment damages an employee’s future career prospects. HR Director has more.

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Out of the blue last week came a formal consultation in relation to a proposed re-write of the ACAS Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures, the first major look at it in nearly 20 years. Superficially, the change is small – a simple transposition of the encouragement to address workplace grievances through mediation from the Foreword into the main body of the Code.  That small change is nonetheless a very big deal because it brings mediation under the penalty regime attached to the Code, i.e. a possible 25% uplift or reduction in compensation for any unreasonable departure from that suggestion. More from Squire Patton Boggs.

AI-generated Complaints clogging up your inbox?

Join Gareth Walls, Partner A&L Goodbody LLP and Scott Alexander, Scott Alexander Mediation Plus as they explore the rise of AI-generated workplace complaints, offering their take on how employers should resolve concerns. They'll be at Legal Island's Annual Review of Employment Law on 5th November. Join them at the Crowne Plaza, Belfast or tune from your desk. EARLY BIRD RATE available until 10th September 2026 at 5:00pm.

BOOK YOUR PLACE

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The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published its draft corporate strategy for 2026 to 2028, and it is open for public consultation until 23 August 2026. The strategy has implications for schools, multi-academy trusts, and universities, with a clear view of where the regulator's attention will be focused over the next two years, and the education sector will be a central part of that.

The ICO has identified four regulatory priorities for 2026 to 2028:

• Personal data use that helps, not harms, children.
• Promoting trust and transparency in AI.
• Public services that use people's data responsibly.
• Building cyber resilience to keep people's data safe.

Browne Jacobsen LLP has more.

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The Employment Law Hub is a comprehensive, jurisdiction-specific resource designed for HR professionals, legal advisors, and business leaders. It centralises essential employment law and HR updates, expertly curated and written by leading HR and legal specialists to provide reliable, practical, and authoritative insights. We have over 700+ in depth articles and 1000+ case law reviews. As a subscriber, you have access to all of this. Check it out the full Hub here and below are some recent articles you may have missed.....

Q&A

This month Madison Bowyer of Arthur Cox LLP answers the big questions:

1. Leaving with Leave: What are the rules?
2. Can an employer withdraw a job offer after it has been accepted?
3. Can an employer refuse annual leave during a busy period?

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Increasingly, employees who want flexible working are not offered it

A fifth of employees who would like to work flexibly are not offered the chance to do so, despite the benefits it would deliver, according to research from Health Shield Friendly Society. HR Director has more.

Can employers provide accommodation instead of paying the national minimum wage?

After a recent tribunal revealed two charity workers were offered housing rather than wages, People Management explores when the exemption applies as well as the legal risks.

Scottish recruiter says the ‘no-phone generation’ is reshaping hiring

A leading Scottish construction recruiter says the rise of the ‘no-phone generation’ is forcing employers to rethink how they hire, with many young candidates refusing to answer calls, relying on AI-written CVs and, in some cases, bringing a parent to interview. Donald Wynn, Managing Director of C&P Recruitment, says the recruitment process is becoming increasingly challenging as employers struggle to get to know candidates before they even reach an interview. More from the Global Recruiter.

The career ladder is changing. Is your organisation keeping up?

For decades, career progression followed a familiar path: gain experience, earn a promotion and move into management. Today, that model is being redefined. As organisations flatten their structures, adopt AI and prioritise skills over hierarchy, career growth is becoming less about climbing the ladder and more about building capability. HRD Connect has more.

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A female lorry driver has been awarded more than £19k by an employment tribunal after a colleague said she flashed her breasts to get what she wanted. Charlotte Brooks brought claims of harassment related to sex, harassment of a sexual nature, and direct sex discrimination against the Co-operative Group in relation to the behaviour of her colleague Kelly Dawson. They had both started at Co-op as apprentice lorry drivers at a similar time. More from Personnel Today.

Personnel Today reports HM Treasury ‘materially contributed’ to the suicide of its employee Chloe Moffat when she took her own life following an anonymous complaint at work. In announcing her conclusion of an inquest into Moffat’s death at Surrey Coroners’ Court, assistant coroner Anna Crawford found that the Treasury did not follow its disciplinary procedure in informing Moffat that the outcome of the allegation, if true, would be a written warning and not dismissal. Crawford said there may be a “wider issue” in government and that she would send a Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) report to the civil service, Treasury and Acas.

City AM reports Aan IT consultant was ordered to repay £50,000 to his employer after being accused of stealing the personal details of members of London’s biggest private members’ club. Amit Sharma allegedly threatened to leak personal information of more than 50,000 members of Soho House unless he was sent a “seven figure” sum following a dispute over pay with his employer. The consultant, who worked for IT firm Espire Infolabs, had been seconded to the private members’ club to work on an IT project which involved access to personal data of members including addresses, bank and payment card details.

London’s Metropolitan Police Service has been formally reprimanded after regulators found “serious and ongoing shortcomings” that contributed to a data breach in which a stalking victim’s new address was provided to the defendant in her case. This incident was one of two that led to the Met being given an enforcement notice and a reprimand by the Information Commissioner’s Office. Following the watchdog’s investigation and punishment, the London force has been ordered to “to make improvements to reduce the risk of unlawful disclosure of personal information and to significantly improve data protection training rates”, the ICO said. Public Technology has more on this story.

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NB: Please note these articles relate to GB and do not apply in Northern Ireland, unless otherwise stated.

New GB trade union access rights are coming

At present, trade unions have no general right of access to workplaces. That changes on 30 October 2026. Trade unions will be able to request access even where they have little or no existing presence in the workforce. This is a new, standalone right, separate from the access rights that apply during recognition or derecognition. It is a reform every employer needs to prepare for and TLT provides guidance. More here.

Comparison of settlement agreements: ROI v GB

In this article, DAC Beachcroft summarises the key considerations when drafting settlement or compromise agreements in GB and the Republic of Ireland. Although there are parallels in the way settlement works in practice, there are some key differences which employers and practitioners should be live to when drafting these agreements.

Disability claims in GB up 79% as neurodiversity awareness grows

Disability discrimination claims have risen by 79% as mental health issues and neurodiversity awareness continue to grow, according to analysis by a law firm. A report by Littler found that disability discrimination claims accounted for 15% of all employment tribunal claims in the last year (to 31 March 2026), and the increase in neurodiversity awareness and self-diagnosis is creating challenges for employers. Personnel Today provides guidance from Lisa Coleman, senior associate at Littler.

Britain's employment tribunal backlog hits 64,000 cases as AI drafted claims rise

Figures published alongside new presidential guidance show 64,000 single cases remained open at the end of March, up from 45,000 a year earlier. Interim relief, an emergency remedy that can force an employer to reinstate or keep paying a dismissed worker while their case is heard, used to be rare. Applications across Great Britain ran to around 20 a year. That figure has now jumped to roughly 20 a month at each of the tribunal's regional offices, most involving whistleblowing or protected disclosure claims. More from the International Business Times.

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Catch up with the last webinar.........

Employment Law at 11 - Theft, Fraud & Dishonesty at Work

Sponsored by HRLocker

From retail losses to employee fraud investigations, workplace dishonesty is an issue making headlines across multiple sectors.

Join Legal Island’s Christine Quinn and Seamus McGranaghan of O’Reilly Stewart Solicitors at Employment Law at 11 for a session on what employers can (and can't) do when theft or dishonesty allegations arise.

Enjoy your weekend!

Legal Island

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