HR Connect updates - 1 October 2026

Available to watch: episodes 1 to 5 of Employment Rights Act 2025 Training and Implementation Service

To help schools and trusts stay compliant without losing hours of your day wading through dense guidance, Legal Connect and HR Connect offers a powerful Employment Rights Act 2025 Implementation and Training Service tailored to the education sector.

Available to watch now

• Episode 1 - Employment Rights Act 2025: stay ahead of the April changes.
• Episode 2 - Practical considerations of changes to the law of unfair dismissal, performance reviews and managing probationary periods.
• Episode 3 - Practical look at the workings of the Fair Work Agency and changes to Employment Tribunal Limits
• Episode 4 -Practical look at the enhanced Duty to Prevent Sexual Harassment.
• Episode 5 - Introduction of liability for Third Party Harassment: Understanding your responsibilities and practical considerations.

Publishing (week commencing Monday 5 October)

• Episode 6 - Changes to the Trade Union Landscape including the new duty for employers to inform workers of their right to join a trade union, and updated rules on a trade union’s right of access to the workplace. Please note: This episode will address the Government's latest response of 25 September 2026 to the consultation on the duty to inform workers of their right to join a trade union, which is now intended to come into force on 1 January 2027.
• Episode 7 - Restrictions and Changes to the Fire and Rehire Process.

Visit our website for more information on the service and how to order.

Last chance to take part in State of HR in Education Survey 2026 – closes Friday 2 October

Over 70 schools across the UK have already shared their experiences in HR Connect's State of HR in Education 2026 Survey.

Please take three minutes to complete the State of HR in Education Survey 2026 (15 quick multiple-choice questions). All results will be fully anonymised and will help us build a powerful snapshot of where the sector stands and where it is heading.

AI-generated parental complaints and grievances: a growing concern

Artificial intelligence is making it easier for people to produce long, detailed and formal-looking complaints. Schools, academy trusts and other public bodies are increasingly receiving correspondence which refers to legislation, policies and legal principles and which may run to many pages.

AI can make it easier for a parent, employee or other individual to explain a genuine concern. However, it can also produce repetitive or exaggerated wording, include incorrect legal references and turn a relatively straightforward issue into a much larger document.

For busy education leaders, the challenge is to respond fairly and properly without allowing the length or legal tone of the document to make the issue appear stronger or more complex than it really is.

Read more about this including expert guidance on the HR Connect website