The forum is organised and supported by the business community based at Stockton House, which includes The Wigley Group, Oliver Wealth, Time to Pause and Richard George Tailoring.
The event welcomed expert speaker Ruby Rai, Head of Employment at solicitors Thomas Flavell & Sons, to update attendees on the changes to employment law and changes coming into force over the next 12 months.
Ruby, who has 17 years’ experience advising employers and employees, spoke about key developments in employment law and the practical steps businesses should be taking to reduce risk.
She highlighted the growing importance of exit interviews, regular probationary reviews and detailed record-keeping, particularly as businesses face a longer period of risk in relation to potential tribunal claims as a result of the Employment Rights Act 2025.
Ruby Rai, Head of Employment at Thomas Flavell, said: “This is just the start. There are other reforms coming into play, such as the proposed Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, so there is a lot happening within employment.
“The Fair Work Agency has been established since April to create a unified body to address workplace issues, but at the moment we are unsure what teeth it has and how this will work in practice.
“The period to claim unfair dismissal has grown from three to six months from the date of termination of employment, which creates a longer period of risk for businesses and gives employees more time and flexibility to consider actions against their employers.
“We are talking to businesses about implementing new exit interview protocols. The probation period is no longer just a settling-in period, it needs to be a period of ongoing review too.
“Employers should be carrying out regular check ins, with the final review taking place before the expiry of a six-month period, as from January 2027, an employee will only need six months service to obtain the right to claim unfair dismissal.
“Currently the qualifying length of service for unfair dismissal is two years, so it is important to really assess if the employee’s performance is satisfactory well within the first six months.”
The Stockton House Leadership Forum is a high-level network for senior business leaders, combining expert-led sessions with practical discussion and networking opportunities.
Aly Cooper, Business Development Manager at Oliver Wealth, said: “Employment law is a major issue for businesses of all sizes and Ruby’s session provided practical, expert-led insight into changes that employers need to be ready for.
“There was great engagement in the room with attendees discussing what these changes could mean in practice.
“We’re proud to be supporting the forum at Oliver Wealth and we’re excited for its future as it continues to grow and expand.”
The next Stockton House Leadership Forum will be held on 23 September and will feature guest speaker Nick Oliver, from Oliver Wealth, who will be discussing financial markets and the impact of geopolitics on pensions, tax and investments.
For more information about Stockton House visit https://www.stockton-house.co.uk/ or to book onto the next Leadership Forum contact [email protected]
Pictured: From left to right, George Fox (Newton LDP), Claire Lynch (The Wigley Group), Ruby Rai (Thomas Flavell), Nick Oliver (Oliver Wealth) and Aaron Foster (Richard George Tailoring).
