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13 February 2026
Issue: 8149 / Categories: Legal News , Employment , Tribunals , Disciplinary&grievance procedures , Costs
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NLJ this week: Volunteers, promotions & perilous appeals

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Employment law is shifting at the margins. In his latest Employment Law Brief for NLJ this week, Ian Smith of Norwich Law School examines a Court of Appeal ruling confirming that volunteers are not a special legal species and may qualify as ‘workers’

On capability dismissals, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has clarified that employees must be judged by the work they were contractually employed to do—not what they might do if promoted. That casts doubt on ‘up or elsewhere’ models.

Meanwhile, a flexible approach to misconduct investigations endures—employers need not run a ‘Police force’ or a ‘Crown Court’ . And passing the EAT sift offers no shield from costs: ‘simply because a matter has been argued for some time does not mean that it was arguable’.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Anthony Collins—20 promotions

Anthony Collins—20 promotions

20 promotions mark major people investment at national law firm, Anthony Collins

Sidley—Elaine Whiteford

Sidley—Elaine Whiteford

Sidley adds competition litigator Elaine Whiteford in London

Charles Russell Speechlys—Claudina D’Costa

Charles Russell Speechlys—Claudina D’Costa

Charles Russell Speechlys welcomes Claudina D’Costa as Director of Client Development Marketing

NEWS
The 25th Pro Bono Week begins today until 6 November, with events hosted by law firms, chambers, law schools and charities across the UK
Aggressive sales tactics can add up to fraudulent trading even without proof of a particular deception or financial loss
Judges risk weakening their own independence by staying silent over government reforms, a leading public lawyer argues
A discount on damages does not automatically mean an equivalent haircut for legal costs in military deafness claims
Police powers targeting concealed identities at protests come with procedural conditions that could determine whether prosecutions succeed
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