Business Law Library & Tracker

Wages, Leave & Payroll

Minimum pay, deductions, holidays, leave records and payroll compliance.

Sources last reviewed 28 July 2026

Main law guides

122

Acts, regulations and codes worth reading first

Topics

60

Plain-English clusters

Published case explainers

143

Selected cases with a business lesson

Tracked updates

11

New, amended & reviewed

Plain-English explainers, not legal advice. Use the linked official source for section-level detail, and get advice for your situation.

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Main laws

Main lawUnited Kingdom

Employment Act 2002

2002 c. 22

PriorityCurrent legislation7 practical checks · checked 28 July 2026
Employment & WorkplaceRegulatory ComplianceWages, Leave & PayrollDismissal, Redundancy & GrievancesDirectors' Duties & GovernanceLiquidation & RestructuringDisputes, Enforcement & RemediesImport, Export, Sanctions & CustomsWorkplace Investigations & Misconduct
Main lawUnited Kingdom

Employment Rights Act 1996

UKPGA 1996 c 18

PriorityIn force4 practical checks · checked 13 June 2026
Employment & WorkplaceContractors & Worker StatusWages, Leave & PayrollDismissal, Redundancy & GrievancesDisputes, Enforcement & RemediesPayroll Deductions & Minimum Standards
Main lawUnited Kingdom

Employment Rights Act 2025

2025 c. 36

PriorityPartly in force5 practical checks · checked 18 July 2026
Employment & WorkplaceRegulatory ComplianceWages, Leave & PayrollDismissal, Redundancy & GrievancesDebt Recovery, Guarantees & SecurityTelecommunications, Media & Content
Main lawUnited Kingdom

Maternity and Parental Leave etc. Regulations 1999

SI 1999/3312

PriorityIn force4 practical checks · checked 13 June 2026
Employment & WorkplaceWages, Leave & PayrollDismissal, Redundancy & GrievancesImport, Export, Sanctions & Customs
Main lawUnited Kingdom

National Minimum Wage Act 1998

UKPGA 1998 c 39

PriorityIn force4 practical checks · checked 13 June 2026
Employment & WorkplaceContractors & Worker StatusWages, Leave & PayrollDisputes, Enforcement & RemediesPayroll Deductions & Minimum Standards
Main lawUnited Kingdom

Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Act 2018

2018 c. 24

PriorityCurrent legislation7 practical checks · checked 28 July 2026
Employment & WorkplaceRegulatory ComplianceEmployment Contracts & PoliciesWages, Leave & PayrollDismissal, Redundancy & GrievancesRecords, Reporting & NotificationsWorkplace Investigations & Misconduct
Main lawUnited Kingdom

Pensions Act 2008

UKPGA 2008 c 30

PriorityIn force4 practical checks · checked 13 June 2026
Employment & WorkplaceRegulatory ComplianceContractors & Worker StatusWages, Leave & Payroll
Main lawUnited Kingdom

Shared Parental Leave Regulations 2014

SI 2014/3050

PriorityIn force4 practical checks · checked 13 June 2026
Employment & WorkplaceWages, Leave & Payroll
Main lawUnited Kingdom

Work and Families Act 2006

2006 c. 18

PriorityCurrent legislation7 practical checks · checked 28 July 2026
Employment & WorkplaceRegulatory ComplianceWages, Leave & PayrollRecords, Reporting & Notifications
Main lawUnited Kingdom

Working Time Regulations 1998

SI 1998/1833

PriorityIn force4 practical checks · checked 13 June 2026
Employment & WorkplaceWages, Leave & PayrollPayroll Deductions & Minimum Standards
Main lawUnited Kingdom

Small Charitable Donations Act 2012

2012 c. 23

PriorityCurrent legislation12 practical checks · checked 28 July 2026
Not-for-Profits & CharitiesRegulatory ComplianceWages, Leave & PayrollBusiness Sales & AcquisitionsFinancial Services, Credit & PaymentsCharities, Clubs & Member Governance
Main lawUnited Kingdom

Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023

2023 c. 20

PriorityCurrent legislation7 practical checks · checked 28 July 2026
Employment & WorkplaceRegulatory ComplianceWages, Leave & PayrollLiquidation & RestructuringRecords, Reporting & Notifications

Cases

UK Supreme Court[2026] UKSC 1422 Apr 2026

Bath Racecourse Ltd v Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe SE

Insurance recovery is calculated under the policy, not from headline revenue loss alone. Grants, reimbursements and avoided costs may affect the final amount. Keep...

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Contracts & CommercialFinance, Payments & SecurityWages, Leave & PayrollDismissal, Redundancy & GrievancesFinancial Services, Credit & PaymentsInsurance Policies & Claims
High Court of Justice[2025] EWHC 2276 (Ch)4 Sept 2025

River Island Holdings Limited, Re

The practical lesson is not that every struggling business can cut leases through court process. It is that directors should act early, build evidence and compare...

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Insolvency & RestructuringWages, Leave & PayrollDirectors' Duties & GovernanceLiquidation & RestructuringOnline Sales, Subscriptions & PlatformsCommercial Leases, Rent & OutgoingsFinancial Services, Credit & PaymentsInsurance Policies & ClaimsImport, Export, Sanctions & CustomsTelecommunications, Media & ContentEquality, Discrimination & Accessibility
Court of Appeal of England and Wales[2025] EWCA Civ 137430 Oct 2025

Westfield Park Limited v Harworth Estates Investments Limited

Do not assume a court will treat a practical improvement as the same as the contractual trigger. If the real bargain is "pay more when static caravans are allowed",...

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Wages, Leave & PayrollDismissal, Redundancy & Grievances
High Court of Justice[2025] EWHC 1722 (IPEC)11 July 2025

Wise Payments Limited v With Wise Limited & Ors

If you are choosing or changing a brand, do not stop at checking whether another business looks like a direct competitor. Map what your business actually does now,...

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Wages, Leave & PayrollDirectors' Duties & GovernanceTrade Marks, Passing Off & BrandingCopyright, Software & Digital ContentLicences, Permits & RegistrationsFinancial Services, Credit & PaymentsTransport, Shipping & Logistics
High Court of Justice[2024] EWHC 3104 (Ch)3 Dec 2024

Restaurant EC3 Limited v Tavor Holdings Limited

If your business is in dispute with a landlord over forfeiture, do not assume that an unlawful re-entry claim will automatically cancel out rent arrears in...

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Wages, Leave & PayrollDismissal, Redundancy & GrievancesLiquidation & RestructuringCommercial Leases, Rent & OutgoingsDisputes, Enforcement & RemediesHospitality, Alcohol & Gambling
UK Supreme Court[2023] UKSC 4829 Nov 2023

TUI UK Ltd v Griffiths

If your business is defending a claim that depends on expert evidence, do not assume you can stay silent during the evidence stage and then argue at the end that...

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Wages, Leave & PayrollDismissal, Redundancy & GrievancesDisputes, Enforcement & RemediesImport, Export, Sanctions & Customs
UK Supreme Court[2022] UKSC 2120 July 2022

Harpur Trust v Brazel

Holiday pay is a payroll legal issue, not just an HR estimate. Employers with variable-hours, term-time or irregular workers should use current statutory rules and...

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Employment & WorkplaceWages, Leave & PayrollDismissal, Redundancy & GrievancesLicences, Permits & RegistrationsPayroll Deductions & Minimum Standards
UK Supreme Court[2021] UKSC 519 Feb 2021

Uber BV v Aslam

Businesses using contractors, platform workers or gig-style models should test the real relationship, not just the label in the contract. Control over pricing,...

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Employment & WorkplaceContractors & Worker StatusWages, Leave & PayrollDismissal, Redundancy & GrievancesDisputes, Enforcement & RemediesPayroll Deductions & Minimum Standards
UK Supreme Court[2020] UKSC 121 Apr 2020

WM Morrison Supermarkets plc v Various Claimants

The decision helped employers on vicarious liability, but it is not a reason to relax data security. Businesses still need access controls, audit trails, incident...

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Privacy & DataEmployment & WorkplaceWages, Leave & Payroll