The Public Interest Disclosure (Amendment) Order 2018 amends the existing legislation, the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (PIDA), by increasing the maximum limit for certain awards available to a worker who faces detriment or dismissal for making a protected disclosure.

Specifically, it revises the level referred to in section 73(2) of the Employment Rights Act 1996 to ensure compensation caps remain adequate under the PIDA framework.

The Pensions (Extension of Automatic Enrolment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2023 amends existing legislation to lower the minimum age for automatic enrolment into workplace pensions from 22 to 18 and removes the lower earnings limit for pension contributions, effectively extending coverage to all eligible employees aged 18 and over, regardless of how much they earn, bringing Northern Ireland's rules into alignment with those in Great Britain.

These Regulations, made by the Secretary of State under the powers granted by the Employment Rights Act 2025, amend the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 to ensure that the Fair Work Agency, which is taking over the functions of the abolished Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), retains the necessary authority to access communications data for enforcement purposes.

The amendment specifically updates the list of relevant public authorities in Schedule 4 of the 2016 Act, substituting the GLAA's designation with that of the Fair Work Agency within the Department for Business and Trade.

This Statutory Instrument, made by HM Treasury with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, modifies section 4A of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 to align social security contribution rules with recent changes made to income tax legislation by the Finance Act 2026 concerning workers supplied through service companies and umbrella companies.

The Order primarily empowers the Treasury to introduce regulations holding certain persons jointly and severally liable with umbrella companies for contributions, and to treat payments made under deemed employment scenarios with 'purported umbrella companies' as earnings for contributions purposes.

This Statutory Instrument, made by the Treasury with the concurrence of the Department for Communities, modifies Section 4A of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992.

The primary purpose is to assimilate the law on social security contributions with changes made to income tax law by the Finance Act 2026, particularly regarding earnings paid to workers supplied by service companies or channeled through umbrella companies.

The Order inserts powers allowing regulations to make individuals jointly and severally liable alongside umbrella companies for contributions, define how payments received under deemed employment rules (ITEPA 2003 section 61Z1) are treated as earnings, and assign the purported umbrella company as the secondary contributor for those payments.

These Regulations, made by the Treasury with concurrence from the Secretary of State and the Department for Communities, amend the Social Security (Contributions) Regulations 2001 to specify payments that must be disregarded when calculating earnings for the purpose of earnings-related social security contributions.

Specifically, Regulation 2 introduces exemptions for amounts shielded from income tax under sections 316ZA (accommodation, supplies, and services used in employment duties) and 320D (flu vaccinations) of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003, bringing the contributions framework into alignment with the recent tax legislation changes and coming into force on April 6, 2026.

The Industrial Training Levy (Construction Industry Training Board) Order 2026 establishes a mandatory levy scheme to fund the expenses of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), effective from March 25, 2026, and applicable across England, Wales, and Scotland.

It outlines the specific levy periods (three periods spanning from the commencement date through to March 2028), defines criteria for determining which employers ('construction establishments') are liable based on their engagement duration and financial activities (emoluments and contract payments over defined 'base periods'), and sets out calculation rates (0.35% of emoluments and 1.25% of relevant contract payments).

The Order also details exemptions for organizations below a £150,000 threshold, procedures for assessment notices, payment deadlines, mechanisms for assessment withdrawal or amendment, and the process and time limits for employers to appeal assessments.

These Regulations apply selected provisions of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE)—which typically govern police officers—to enforcement officers appointed under the Employment Rights Act 2025 when they investigate 'labour market offences' across England and Wales, replacing previous 2017 regulations and detailing numerous specific modifications to ensure PACE powers like stop and search, entry, seizure of evidence, and arrest procedures operate correctly within the context of these specialist investigators, including mandatory transfer of arrested persons and seized material to the police upon custody commencement.