Adrian Fryer
The law on religion and belief discrimination protects employees not only from less favourable treatment because of a protected belief itself, but also because of the manifestation of that belief. However, not every opinion expressed by an employee will qualify as a manifestation of a protected belief.
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A recent Employment Appeal Tribunal decision serves as a useful reminder that even discretionary bonus arrangements can create enforceable contractual rights once discretion has been exercised.
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The Government has published its response to consultation on electronic and workplace balloting for statutory trade union ballots, alongside a draft Code of Practice, setting out how workplace ballots could operate in practice.
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The government has launched a consultation on strengthening employment rights for unpaid carers and parents of seriously ill children, signalling that carers’ rights may remain firmly on the employment law agenda in the years ahead.
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Most HR professionals will be familiar with unfair dismissal claims, but wrongful dismissal is a different type of claim altogether. Whereas unfair dismissal focuses on the fairness of the employer’s decision to dismiss, wrongful dismissal is a contractual claim that looks at whether the employer was entitled to terminate employment without notice.
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A recent Employment Appeal Tribunal decision provides a useful reminder that employers cannot always rely on the absence of a formal occupational health opinion when assessing whether an employee is disabled under the Equality Act 2010.
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On 19 June 2026, a significant change to UK data protection law came into force. Under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, employees and other individuals now have a statutory right to raise data protection complaints directly with their employer before escalating concerns to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
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A recent Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) decision provides useful guidance for employers that have moved to digital-only payslips.
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AI has chalked up what is being described as its first court victory – but before the robots start demanding silk gowns and chambers, it’s worth looking a little closer.
The case involved Garfield AI, an AI-powered law firm, helping a freelancer successfully recover unpaid fees in court. AI carried out the heavy lifting before trial – preparing documents, witness statements and the court bundle. However, when it came to the hearing itself, a human barrister still took centre stage, presenting the case and advocating before the judge.
AI is becoming an increasingly common feature of workplace disputes and litigation. Employers may use AI to analyse documents or prepare evidence, while employees and their representatives are likely to be doing exactly the same. Garfield AI’s legal victory demonstrates that AI is able to take a supporting role in employment litigation, but human oversight, expertise, judgement and advocacy remain firmly in charge – at least for now.
Contact Adrian Fryer, Partner and Head of Employment.
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ParalegalMairead joined Bermans in May 2026 and is a Paralegal in our Corporate team.
She assists on a range of corporate matters, including company acquisitions and disposals, corporate reorganisations, and general company law and governance matters.
She completed her undergraduate degree in Theatre Arts at Middlesex University in 2013, graduating with First Class Honours. She more recently obtained a Master of Arts in Law with Distinction from the University of Law (Liverpool campus).
She is currently pursuing her SQE qualification (Solicitors Qualifying Exams).
Mairead enjoys going to the theatre whenever possible, as well as running, cooking and escaping the North West rain for somewhere a bit warmer!
E:Mairead.Ryan@bermans.co.uk
T: 0161 388 8562
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