If you’re running a residential property management firm, you’ll already be juggling a complex and fast‑moving regulatory environment. With the Building Safety Act, changing fire safety obligations, leasehold reform and ever‑increasing expectations from residents, your day job is already demanding enough.
Against that backdrop, the wave of new employment law changes being introduced over the next two years adds yet another layer of responsibility and, it’s one that’s especially challenging for firms that don’t have the luxury of a full‑time HR specialist. Managing people is hard enough; managing people while navigating sweeping legal reforms at the same time can feel overwhelming.
And with the biggest overhaul of employment rights in a generation now underway, it’s never been more important to make sure your employment contracts, policies and processes are robust and up to date.
Why This Matters for Your Business
A misunderstanding we see time and time again is the belief that: “We’ve never had a problem before, so our policies must be fine.” The changes taking effect across 2026–2027 means that you can no longer make this assumption.
For residential property management businesses where teams operate in a demanding environment and retention issues challenge the very best of businesses, clear, compliant and consistently applied HR practices are essential. Even small gaps in documentation or process can quickly escalate into avoidable disputes.
And with employment tribunal claims rising sharply across the UK, the risks are only increasing.
What’s Changing?
Over the next two years, the Employment Rights Act will introduce major reforms that affect every employer, including:
- Protection from unfair dismissal after six months, instead of two years
- Day‑one rights to paternity, parental and bereavement leave
- An end to zero‑hours contracts
- Limits on “fire and rehire” practices
- Flexible working as the default starting point
- Stronger protections for pregnant employees and new parents
- Enhanced statutory sick pay
These reforms are designed to give employees more clarity and stability, but they also mean employers must tighten processes and ensure documentation is accurate, consistent and pro-actively updated.
A few important questions to consider:
- When did you last review your employment contracts and staff handbook?
- Do they reflect the upcoming 2026–27 law changes?
- Are your managers confident in applying your HR processes correctly?
- Who do you currently rely on for employment law support?
- Are you relying solely on reactive insurance, rather than proactive compliance?
If you aren’t sure, now is the right time to get ahead.
How We Can Help
To help our clients get ahead of the changes, we have developed an Employment Law Compliance Audit that aims to identify what needs to be updated, strengthened, or better embedded ahead of the 2026-2027 reforms.
Employment Law Compliance Audit – Fixed Fee £950 + VAT
The audit will help ensure your organisation is genuinely prepared, protected, and ready to thrive under the new employment landscape.
Our employment specialists will review your current contracts, handbooks, policies and procedures.
Employment Law Compliance Audit
A Thomas Carroll employment lawyer will undertake an audit of your organisations employment documentation including contracts, policies, handbooks and procedural documents, in order to:
- Ensure your business meets current legal requirements
- Identify outdated policies that need updating
- Highlight practices that could lead to tribunal claims
- Provide peace of mind that your employment practices are legally sound
The report issued following our audit will include the following:
- Areas of non-compliance or legal vulnerabilities
- An analysis of the risk levels of your existing arrangements
- Practical, prioritised recommendations for improvement
Ongoing Employment Law Support
We can also provide tailored post-audit support and can assist with updating or redrafting contracts, handbooks, and policies, together with ongoing employment law support, if required.
For firms without in‑house HR, our fixed‑cost support service works like an extension of your team. We’ll keep you up to date, provide proactive advice, and help you stay compliant as the new laws come into force.
And because we work closely with insurers, we ensure you still benefit from legal expenses protection where needed.
Get Ahead of the Changes — Book Your Employment Law Compliance Audit
Your sector is already dealing with significant regulatory change. Employment law shouldn’t be another source of stress. To book a call with one of our friendly employment lawyers, please email us at tmcs@thomas-carroll.co.uk.
