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UK Edition
26th October 2026
 
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THE HOT STORY

Retailers lead calls for improved paternity leave

Major retailers including Marks & Spencer and Tesco are leading efforts to improve paternity leave, offering six weeks at full pay compared with the UK's statutory entitlement of two weeks. Research by campaign group The Dad Shift highlights growing disparities between sectors, with construction, manufacturing and agriculture offering significantly less generous provisions. Enhanced policies introduced by five major retailers have benefited nearly 650,000 workers. More than 100 Labour MPs are urging Prime Minister Andy Burnham to introduce six weeks of paternity leave paid at 90% of earnings, capped at £1,200 weekly, and extend eligibility to self-employed fathers. Campaigners argue Britain's current statutory payment of £194.32 weekly is inadequate, particularly for lower-income families. A government review is expected later this year.
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HIRING

New job postings up 10%

UK businesses are increasing hiring ahead of the budget. In September, new job postings reached nearly 850,000, a 10% increase from last year, according to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation's (REC) labour market tracker. The total number of open roles in the UK has surpassed 1.9 million, the highest number since March 2024. Maxine Bligh, interim chief executive of REC, said:  "This latest job report suggests employers are tentatively driving recruitment forward. The breadth of occupations showing growth is particularly encouraging."
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WORKFORCE

Wizz Air offers buyouts to UK pilots

Wizz Air has offered voluntary seasonal redundancy packages to all first officers based at London Luton Airport, the Hungarian carrier's main UK base, to help reduce costs as the airline cuts capacity through the slower winter season. “These decisions have not been taken lightly but are necessary to ensure the business remains financially sustainable, protects long-term competitiveness, and aligns our operation with the current demand and cost environment,” the company said in the memo.
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STRATEGY

Nationwide cuts 275 jobs

Nationwide will eliminate 275 roles across retail, mortgages, HR, customer operations, communications and finance as it integrates Virgin Money following its £2.9bn acquisition. The reductions follow 600 job losses announced in June. Nationwide, which employs around 27,000 people, said no customer-facing colleagues were at risk and that affected employees would be offered retraining and redeployment. The building society has pledged to keep its 700 branches open until at least 2030.

Amex to cut 3,500 jobs

American Express plans to reduce its global workforce by 5%, equating to approximately 3,500 jobs, as part of a restructuring initiative. Despite a strong year driven by affluent customer spending, Amex faces scrutiny over rising expenses, which increased by 9% to $14.5bn in Q3. Revenue rose by 9% to $20.1bn, with net income up 28% to $3.7bn.
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LEGAL

Court blocks Tesco's equal pay appeal

The Supreme Court has refused Tesco permission to appeal a key ruling in an equal pay claim involving more than 16,000 shop workers, allowing the case to proceed under the Employment Tribunal’s existing methodology. The claims allege that predominantly female shop-floor staff are paid less than their mostly male warehouse counterparts. Kiran Daurka, an employment partner at law firm Leigh Day, said: "This is a significant outcome for the 16,000 Tesco workers we represent and brings Tesco's challenge on this issue to an end."

Unions prepare for workplace access

The Daily Mail says trade unions have begun contacting businesses to request workplace access ahead of new provisions in Labour’s Employment Rights Act. Chris Coombes, a senior associate at specialist employment law firm Littler, says unions are already submitting voluntary access requests, despite the new laws not coming into force until October 30. A survey of almost 200 business leaders has found that half were completely unprepared for the changes and only 2% were fully prepared. 

Council worker sues over pension loss

Lee Henley, a former Thurrock Council employee, has sued for age discrimination after losing a £350,000 pension due to redundancy three days before his 55th birthday. Mr Henley believed he would retire with full pension benefits. However, changes to redundancy plans altered his termination date. His claim was dismissed by an employment judge who said there was no evidence of age discrimination in the decision-making process.

MoD seeks out-of-court deal for gay veterans

Wes Streeting, the Defence Secretary, is negotiating an out-of-court settlement regarding compensation for gay veterans forced to resign due to their sexuality. The Ministry of Defence is in discussions as a High Court judge prepares to rule on a judicial review concerning the LGBT financial recognition scheme established in 2024.
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TECHNOLOGY

Gates warns AI could trigger widespread unemployment

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has warned that artificial intelligence could cause widespread unemployment as businesses replace workers with cheaper technology. He said both white-collar roles and physical jobs, including construction and manufacturing, face growing risks from AI and robotics. Gates urged governments to prioritise education and retraining despite potential funding pressures. Chancellor John Healey is this week expected to announce measures addressing AI risks while supporting economic growth and protecting workers.
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INTERNATIONAL

Saudi Aramco HQ staff asked to work from home

Saudi Aramco evacuated its headquarters in Dhahran on Thursday following an alarm, and has asked employees to work remotely. Sources said the reason for the alarm wasn’t immediately known and it wasn’t clear how long staff would be asked to work away from headquarters. The kingdom is on alert after recent attacks from Yemen’s Houthis, including lethal strikes on the oil giant's operations. Bloomberg notes that the US State Department has ordered non-emergency personnel and their families to leave Saudi Arabia because of the growing threat from Houthi attacks.

Child labour affects 3.5 million children in Mexico

The 2025 National Survey of Child Labor (ENTI) in Mexico reveals that 3.5 million children and adolescents, or 12.6% of those aged five to 17, are engaged in child labour, with particularly high rates among Indigenous minors and those not attending school. Mauricio Rodríguez, head of sociodemographic statistics at INEGI, Mexico's national statistics agency, said: “A child's work counts as hazardous depends not only on the job itself but also on the conditions under which it is performed.” The survey highlights that 1.7 million children are involved in excessive household chores, while 1.6 million perform age-inappropriate work, with over one million engaged in dangerous activities.

KPMG Australia extends government work suspension

KPMG Australia has agreed to extend its suspension from bidding for new federal government contracts until February 28th 2027, following an independent review that identified serious failures in its handling of whistleblower allegations and longstanding governance weaknesses. Commissioned by Australia's Department of Finance, the review found that KPMG mishandled allegations of confidential client information being misused to secure audit contracts, prioritizing legal and organizational risks over investigating potential misconduct. It also highlighted persistent cultural problems, including excessive emphasis on financial returns, inconsistent ethical leadership, and inadequate protections for employees reporting misconduct. Although the review stopped short of recommending a permanent government contracting ban, it called for independent verification of meaningful reforms before KPMG could resume bidding.
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OTHER

AstraZeneca partners with Oracle for AI-driven clinical trials

AstraZeneca is partnering with Oracle to improve patient recruitment in clinical trials. A non-binding agreement will see the two companies “explore selected use cases that could improve clinical-trial efficiency and success by leveraging modern applications and AI.”  AstraZeneca's Chief Digital, Data and AI Officer Anne-Claire Gerbaldi said: “Oracle and AstraZeneca . . . believe we can support smarter clinical trials, strengthen safety monitoring, and help ensure patients are diagnosed sooner and receive the right care.” Reuters notes that patient ⁠recruitment remains one of the biggest challenges in clinical research. Delayed enrolment often extends trial timelines and increases development costs.
 
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