The Employment Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025. It introduced a package of over 28 employment reforms with implementation to be staged across 2026 and 2027 with much of the 2025 Act awaiting further consultation and secondary legislation. Given its breadth, scale and complexity, the 2025 Act is a substantial shift for both employers and employees and for employers, will require significant planning and preparation to ensure compliance with the new laws. The following timeline was proposed under the Government’s original roadmap but this may vary for the expected changes in 2027:
April 2026 Changes
- Changes to the statutory recognition of unions and electronic balloting.
- Increase to the maximum protective award for a failure to comply with collective redundancy consultation obligations.
- ‘Day one right’ to statutory paternity and unpaid parental leave.
- Statutory sick pay available from the first day of sickness and the lower earnings limit removed.
- Establishing of a new Fair Worker Agency.
- Changes to sexual harassment whistleblowing.
October 2026 Changes
- Right of access to the workplace for unions.
- Protection against detriment for taking part in industrial action.
- Restrictions on the practice known as ‘fire and rehire’.
- Duty to inform workers of their rights to join a union and new rights for trade union representatives.
- Strengthened duty to prevent workplace sexual harassment and liability for third party harassment.
- Requirement to consult regarding written tipping policy.
- Increased time limit for making claims in employment tribunals.
- Worker protections relating to public sector outsourcing.
Expected in 2027
- Suite of new rights for zero-hours and low-hours contract workers.
- New threshold for triggering collective redundancy consultation.
- Changes to unfair dismissal rights (expected to take effect from 1 January 2027).
- Gender pay gap and menopause action plans.
- Increased protection from dismissal during pregnancy, family leave and on return to work.
- Changes to flexible working and to bereavement leave.
- Umbrella companies to become subject to existing regulatory and enforcement frameworks.
- Protections against blacklisting and other changes to industrial relations regulation.
For advice or further information on the Employment Rights Act 2025, call Henry Doswell of Doswell Law Solicitors on 01233 722942. Alternatively, email Henry at henry@doswell-law.com
Disclaimer: Whilst every reasonable effort is made to make the information and commentary contained in this blog accurate and up to date, Henry Doswell takes no responsibility for its accuracy and correctness, or for any consequences of relying on it. The information and commentary in this blog does not constitute legal advice to any person on a specific case or matter. You are strongly advised to obtain specific, personal advice from a lawyer about your case or matter.