Thomas Hanlon has provided comment in The Legal Diary on the impact of recent employment reforms following the Institute for Directors’ warning that more businesses expect to reduce their headcount than increase it for the first time since the height of the Covid pandemic.

“The latest employment reforms alongside the recent Budget have certainly made businesses think twice about hiring. The sense we are getting from our clients and the market is that they have created new challenges for businesses that may hinder growth.

“Businesses operating across a variety of sectors are seriously reconsidering their hiring plans that were originally more aggressive, after a recent stabilising of other economic factors such as inflation and interest rate rises.

“In a time where hiring should be generally increasing across the board, these reforms seem to have taken the wind out of the sails for businesses looking to grow.”

Thomas’ comments were published in The Legal Diary, 6 December 2024.