Employment Rights Act Insights

18 February 2026: Trade union and industrial action reforms

April 2026: New day-one rights and increased employer exposure

Family Leave Rights

• Paternity leave and unpaid parental leave become day-one rights from 6 April 2026.

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) updates

• Effective from 6 April 2026, protective awards for failure to consult during a collective redundancy will double.
• Effective from 6 April 2026, disclosures relating to sexual harassment will become protected disclosures under whistleblowing legislation.
• Establishment of the Fair Work Agency

October 2026: Harassment and contractual change

• Employment Tribunal time limits will increase to 6 months for all claims (currently 3 months for most claims).
• New liability for third-party harassment, requiring employers to take ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent harassment by clients, customers and suppliers.
• Anticipated reform to the law on non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).
• Expected changes to tipping legislation.
• Further trade union law reforms anticipated.

January 2027 onwards: Structural workforce reforms

Major Reform are expected to be implemented from January 2027.

• The qualifying period for unfair dismissal will reduce from two years to six months from 1 January 2027.
• The cap on the compensatory award for unfair dismissal is expected to be removed (currently subject to a statutory limit).

Other Anticipated Changes

• Fire and rehire protections from 1 January 2027
• Further flexible working reforms
• Mandatory gender pay gap and menopause action measures

Disclaimer: This update is a general summary of the law and does not constitute legal advice. The content reflects information available at the date of publication. Legislative proposals remain subject to change, consultation and further clarification. Specific advice should be sought for your individual circumstances.