In case you missed it: New CEO announced, major employment law reforms take effect and AI insights to guide your practice
Your April summary of insights, tools and resources to support your continuing professional development
Your April summary of insights, tools and resources to support your continuing professional development
April brought significant change for the profession. We announced new leadership to guide us through the next era of work, major employment law reforms took effect, and we published practical guidance on AI adoption and workforce planning.
These resources support your continuing professional development (CPD) and give you what you need to navigate change in your organisation.
We've appointed a new Chief Executive to lead the profession through rapid technological change and an evolving world of work. Neil Carberry joins us from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation in September.
The appointment comes as Peter Cheese prepares to retire after 14 years leading the organisation. Caroline Stockmann will serve as interim Chief Executive from 8 May until Neil’s arrival.
Neil's background spans HR policy, employment relations and labour market strategy across both business representative bodies and government advisory roles. He currently chairs the CBI's Trade Association Council.
Major workplace reforms from the Employment Rights Act 2025 took effect on 6 April. These changes affect workplaces across the UK.
The reforms include expanded day one family-related rights, changes to statutory sick pay, reforms to trade union recognition, and new penalties for non-compliance.
Our Labour Market Outlook February 2026 found that more than half of employers (55%) expect a rise in workplace conflict from one or more elements of the Act. This shows why effective people management processes matter now more than ever.
The focus needs to shift from preparation to compliance. Line managers need particular support as they'll face questions from their teams about what's changed.
The ONS reported a fall in unemployment in April, but we've warned this improvement is unlikely to last. Rising business costs and global uncertainty will probably push unemployment higher in the coming months.
The data covered the period to end of February. Since then, geopolitical instability has driven up costs for UK employers very quickly. Combined with the Employment Rights Act 2025 reforms and National Minimum Wage increases that came into force in April, businesses face mounting pressure.
Pay growth has also fallen to its lowest level since late 2020, even as cost of living pressures start to creep up again. This creates a difficult balancing act for employers.
We published insights this month on some of the profession's most pressing challenges, from responsible AI adoption to leading with humanity in times of crisis.
AI promises real benefits, but only if you get the foundations right. You need to protect people, maintain trust and deliver actual value rather than jumping on trends. Our new insight covers what responsible AI use looks like in practice and how to build the right frameworks before you scale up technology.
As AI changes how work gets done, you need a clear view of where skill gaps will emerge. Our guide walks through practical steps for identifying what capabilities your organisation will need and how to build them, whether through development, hiring or restructuring roles.
When organisations face humanitarian crises, people professionals carry unique responsibilities. Based in the Middle East but relevant globally, our latest thought leadership explores how to balance duty of care, operational continuity and ethical leadership when circumstances are extreme.
The latest episode tackles three uncomfortable questions. Why do some HR professionals still feel they need to hide their disabilities to get hired? Can AI versions of leaders deliver the human connection people need? And when productivity stays stubbornly low despite engagement efforts, are organisations fixing the wrong problems?
David D'Souza talks with Clair Staines from POWWR, David Balls from Helix People Solutions, and Cheryl Samuels from the NHS about where the profession needs to push harder on inclusion, technology and performance.
Technology failures, sudden absences, supply chain problems - disruptions happen. Our contingency planning tool helps you think through scenarios before they hit and build plans that actually work when you need them. It covers what to protect, who needs to do what and how to communicate when things go wrong.
Our updated redundancy tools give you step-by-step guidance on managing redundancies that meet legal requirements while treating people with dignity. They cover consultation processes, selection criteria and how to support employees through difficult transitions.
Over 400 people professionals gathered in Dublin to explore People, Purpose, Performance. AI featured heavily throughout the day, with sessions on the human-technology frontier and practical roundtables on AI governance and digital adoption - themes that connect directly to the insights we published this month.
Join us for a full day covering the latest employment law developments affecting workplaces in Ireland. The programme includes updates on legislation, case law and practical guidance for compliance.
Last call for entries for the People Management Awards is 30 April. Showcase the excellent work happening in your organisation and celebrate the people professionals making a difference.
Registration is open for the CIPD Festival of Work at Excel London. This year's theme is shaping future-ready organisations, with 130+ speakers and 150+ sessions across seven stages.
We're inviting senior leaders to join the judging panel for the Middle East People Awards. This is your chance to recognise excellence in the region and shape the future of the awards.
Listen to episodes of HR People Pod, the CIPD’s fortnightly podcast providing expert insights from HR leaders discussing the topical issues impacting the world of work.
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16 Apr, 2026
17 Mar, 2026