Magrath Sheldrick LLP Solicitors

04/01/2026

London was looking very peaceful on toe drive out of town yesterday - peaceful from a distance anyway! If you’re an employer in London 2026 is going to be anything but peaceful on the employment law front. Lots of changes. Lots of challenges. From the changes under the Employment Rights Act, increasing numbers of subject access requests, allegations of “unsafe” workplaces as a result of stress, recruitment challenges, more frequent grievances and claims being written with the “help” of Ai - 2026 is going to be anything but peaceful!

I’ve enjoyed the breather the time between Christmas and New Year provides and I’ll admit I’m not really looking forward to the reality of normal working life from tomorrow! It’s going to be a busy year!

03/01/2026

Moving into 2026 with a focus on finding more peace? I know I am!

2025 felt hectic and conflict filled for just about everyone I’ve spoken to. So many clients said workplace tensions were on the rise with people quick to take offence and more drawn to conflict than ever before.

Reflecting on difficult workplace relationships both from a client and personal perspective and I can think of very few where easily mediation would not have helped.

Mediation works because it creates a confidential space where people speak openly, safely and without judgment.  A skilled mediator helps parties explore what they need, what needs to change, and how they want to work together in the future.  It avoids blame.  It avoids escalation.  It restores clarity and control.

Conflict might be inevitable.  How you handle it is a choice!

If you’d like to know more about my meditation services or to chat about how to reduce workplace tension and conduct in 2026 do drop me a message.

02/01/2026

What are the Benefits of Mediation?

Promotion of faster resolution - with ET claims routinely taking 18 months plus to get to a hearing surely it’s better to stop them before (or as soon as possible after) they start. With workplace mediation early repair of fractured relationships avoids prolonged grievances, counter grievances, disciplinary proceedings and recruitment fees.

Reduced cost and disruption - the costs of bringing / defending claims is escalating. Management time can more often be better spent elsewhere. The taking of witness statements rarely improves workplace harmony. Notwithstanding any point of principle involved, simple economics dictate early settlement is normally beneficial.

Improved working relationships - frequently claims end up being brought because performance is not managed before frustration kicks in or grievances are not resolved satisfactorily. Improve those working relationships and performance improves, team cohesion improves and litigation risk drops.

More creative outcomes - so often people simply want to be heard or want behaviour to stop but are left with the “no choice but to litigate option”. Mediation can be a way to voice your perspective, repair damage and in workplace mediation focus on the future working relationship rather than grievances of the past. Sometimes it’s not about financial loss. It’s about an apology - and no Tribunal can order that. If you want to resolve a Tribunal claim before London looks like this again - consider Mediation.

If you’d like to know about Magrath Sheldrick’s Mediation Services drop me a message and I’ll send you some info.

09/09/2024

WEBINAR ALERT: Sexual Harassment in the Workplace for Employers and HR Professionals

Don't miss our webinar with Adele Martins, Partner and Head of Employment, tomorrow at 12:30 pm GMT.

What’s on the agenda? Adele will cover:

✅ What behaviours amount to sexual harassment
✅ Policy changes to consider
✅ How the “all reasonable steps” defence works
✅ Actions to take NOW to limit risk

REGISTER: Click our link below to sign up.

The law on sexual harassment in the workplace is about to change, imposing greater obligations on employers. Are you ready? From 26 October 2024 employers will have a proactive duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of employees in the course of their employment (both from collea...

06/09/2024

EXPAT ACADEMY
Immigration Update: UK, Europe, US and Beyond Bite Size Briefing
Thursday 12 September at 9:00 - 10:00 GMT

We’re excited to host this Bitesize webinar for the Expat Academy community on Thursday 12 September at 9am. This session offers a valuable opportunity to receive technical updates and industry insights from Ben Sheldrick, Joanne Taylor, Antonia Grant, Kerry Hough and Aryanah Eghbal, all within an easily digestible Bitesize briefing.

In a rapidly evolving global landscape, immigration policies and trends are continuously changing, impacting individuals, businesses, and governments worldwide.

We will cover:
• UK post-election: What’s next for immigration policy?
• UK developments on the horizon: ETA, e-visas, and beyond.
• US pre-election: Is policy at a crossroads?
• Global insights: Focus on EMEA.
• Global insights: Focus on Asia Pacific.

Members book here https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0c7QV50
Not a member? Contact Tony Miller at Expat Academy

Events - Expat Academy https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0c7RgL0

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

05/09/2024

Commencing 2nd September 2024, the Irish Government has signed into legislation the Employment Permits Act 2024. Employers should note these changes and ensure that they make the necessary adjustments for any impact on sponsored employees. Find out more below in our Ireland Immigration Update document.

Commencing on 2nd September 2024 the Irish Government has signed into legislation the Employment Permits Act 2024. Employers should note these changes and ensure that they make the necessary adjustments for any impact on sponsored employees. The changes are largely seen as positive and remove severa...

02/09/2024

Key Update for Skilled Worker Visa Sponsors

As part of the Skilled Worker visa application process, it's essential for sponsors to assign roles to the correct SOC code, which sets the “going rate” salary threshold. In April 2024, the Home Office introduced a revised SOC 2020 list with significant changes to codes and thresholds. However, they've since identified errors in some of the published salary thresholds.

As part of Skilled Worker visa application process, sponsors are required to assign each role to the appropriate code using the Standard Occupational Classification (“SOC”) system. Each code sets a salary threshold known as the “going rate”. In April 2024, the Home Office implemented a revis...

28/08/2024

The Home Office published UK immigration statistics for year ending June 2024 -Over the past few years the numbers of people coming to the UK has been a significant feature of political debate in the UK. The 12-month period saw the issue of 1.16 million visas granted for work, study or family reasons. Whilst the number of passenger arrivals to the UK has increased by 11% over the past 12-months, the number of work category visas were down 11% to 286,382.

Over the past few years the numbers of people coming to the UK has been a significant feature of political debate in the UK. The 12-month period saw the issue of 1.16 million visas granted for work, study or family reasons. Whilst the number of passenger arrivals to the UK has increased by 11% over....

22/08/2024

Adele Martins, Partner and Head of Employment at Magrath Sheldrick, is featured in a recent article by London Loves Business. Adele provides expert insights on how the "Right to Switch Off" could impact UK service-based businesses and potentially lead to relocations. If you would like guidance on how to prepare for the “right to switch off” please email [email protected].

Labour champions the 'right to switch off': plans for compensation for workers constantly contacted by bosses outside of work hours.

21/08/2024

In our latest roundup of EMEA developments, we explore the newly proposed European Travel Information & Authorisation System (ETIAS) for the Schengen area and the Entry/Exit System (EES) which serve different functions.

In our Spotlight on EMEA we round up the latest developments from across the region. In this post we take a look at the newly proposed European Travel Information & Authorisation System (ETIAS) for the Schengen area and the Entry/Exit System (EES) which serve different functions.   What is ETIAS an...

19/08/2024

Labour seems keen to deliver on their manifesto pledge to introduce the right to disconnect in the UK.

We discussed the UK’s position on the right to disconnect in our May HR Coffee Connect Breakfast and it now looks like the UK will follow the example of France, Italy and other countries to grant employees greater protection from work intruding into personal time.

Labour seems keen to deliver on their manifesto pledge to introduce the right to disconnect in the UK. We discussed the UK’s position on the right to disconnect in our May HR Coffee Connect Breakfast and it now looks like the UK will follow the example of France, Italy and other countries to grant...