Diversity & inclusion

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All regulated law firms and individuals must act in a way that encourages equality, diversity and inclusion. It is about more than complying with your legal and regulatory obligations, however. Put simply, it is the right thing to do. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) expects you to be proactive and take proportionate action to encourage a diverse workforce at all levels in your firm.

Having an inclusive and diverse workforce isn’t just the right thing to do, however. As a bonus, it can inspire public confidence in the legal profession and provide benefits for your firm’s business. It increases team motivation, improves retention rates, enables you to attract the best candidates in the market to your firm and creates an environment where everyone feels confident enough to perform at their highest level.

Creating a diverse workforce

Practice Note: How to create an inclusive and diverse workforce helps you to navigate through the key

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Latest Practice Management News

National Insurance Contributions (Employer Pensions Contributions) Bill: Lords agree increase in salary sacrifice cap to £5,000

Pensions analysis: The House of Lords considered the National Insurance Contributions (Employer Pensions Contributions) Bill at Report stage on 5 March 2026. The principal debates concerned non-government amendments to Clause 1, relating to employer pension contributions under optional remuneration arrangements in Great Britain, and Clause 2, which makes equivalent provision for Northern Ireland. The House of Lords agreed amendments increasing the cap from £2,000 to £5,000, exempting basic rate taxpayers, protecting student loan calculations, exempting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and charities, and strengthening parliamentary scrutiny of regulations, all of which the government had opposed on grounds of fiscal sustainability, fairness within the national insurance system, and administrative operability. Following the end of the Report Stage, a revised Bill was published on 5 March 2026 and it now moves to its Third Reading in the House of Lords on 12 March 2026.

Government to proceed with proposals in LGPS Access and Fairness consultation

Pensions analysis: On 2 February 2026, the government published its response to its consultation on access and fairness in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) in England and Wales, confirming that it will proceed with the proposals with some modifications following feedback from administering authorities, employers and other stakeholders. The government will introduce the changes through one or more statutory instruments, supported by detailed guidance developed with bodies such as the LGPS Scheme Advisory Board, the Local Government Association (LGA), the Government Actuary’s Department, and the Local Government Pension Committee (LGPC). Written by Paul Carney, partner at Shoosmiths.

Part-time army reservists as ‘workers’—whether less favourable treatment (Advocate-General for Scotland v Milroy)

Pensions analysis: The claimant, a part-time reservist, brought a complaint under the Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000 alleging he had been treated less favourably than a full-time regular soldier as respects (a) for pension purposes, his service prior to 1 April 2015 and (b) his daily rate of pay. The Employment Tribunal found in the claimant’s favour. The Advocate-General for Scotland appealed, contending that the claimant was not a ‘worker’ within the Regulations, his daily rate of pay did not constitute less favourable treatment and his treatment as respects pay and prior service was not on the ground that he was a part-time worker. The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) dismissed the appeal, holding that the tribunal below had not erred in law. The case applies the recognised principles for determining whether a person without an employment contract is a ‘worker’ to the new context of the armed forces. It is potentially relevant to all armed forces reservists. Written by Elizabeth Ovey, barrister at Radcliffe Chambers.

MoD loses appeal over army reservist's right of access to pension scheme

Law360: An appeals tribunal has rejected the Ministry of Defence (MoD)'s attempt to overturn a ruling that it treated a long-standing part-time army reservist less favourably than full-time personnel by excluding him from the army pension scheme.

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