Employment Rights Act timeline
Keep up-to-date with key developments
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As the world of work continues to evolve, the Employment Rights Act 2025 (the Act) represents one of the most substantial updates to UK employment law in recent years, introducing a broad set of reforms that will significantly reshape employment rights and responsibilities over the coming years.
Understanding these changes early will help individuals and organisations prepare for what lies ahead as new measures come into effect.
Many of these updates amend existing legislation and will be further shaped through ongoing consultation and secondary regulations. As these changes progress, employers and workers alike will need to stay informed to ensure they understand their rights, responsibilities and the practical implications for day‑to‑day working life.
This page has been designed to be used as the go-to place for all updates and latest information on the Employment Rights Act 2025.
Employment Rights Act timeline
The timeline below indicates key dates for employment law changes - both enacted and proposed.
Timeline title
2025
December 2025
The Act received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025
- The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 - was repealed immediately upon receiving Royal Assent
2026
February 2026
Industrial Action Law changes into effect:
- Industrial action ballots
- Union supervision of picketing
- Removal of the requirements on unions to supervise picketing
- Protection from dismissal for taking industrial action
April 2026
Government’s roadmap changes for April into effect
The changes below came into force on 6 and 7 April. We have published a snapshot of the upcoming provisions outlining all changes.
Into force in full:
- Whistleblowing: including sexual harassment allegations
- Protective awards for failure to collectively consult
- Duty to keep annual leave records
- Simplifying trade union recognition
- Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is a day-one right. Also removal of the Lower Earnings Limit for entitlement
- Paternity and parental leave
- Bereaved partner’s paternity leave
- Fair Work Agency (FWA) (established from 7 April 2026)
August 2026
In force from 25 August 2026
- Electronic balloting for Statutory Trade Union Ballots (but not recognition/derecognition)
October 2026
In force from 1 October 2026
- Previously, workers/employees had 3 months to issue most claims to an Employment Tribunal. This has been extended to 6 months
In force from 30 October 2026
- New right for trade unions to request access to employer workplaces for the purposes of meeting, supporting, representing, recruiting, or organising workers
- New rights and protections for trade union representatives
- Extending protections against detriments for taking industrial action
- Enhancing protections against harassment
- Trade unions: access and unfair practices in the recognition and derecognition process, along with all remaining trade union recognition measures
Government’s roadmap changes at some point in October 2026
- Bringing forward regulations to establish the Fair Pay Agreement Adult Social Care Negotiating Body in England
2027
January 2027
Changes proposed to take effect on 1 January 2027
- Unfair dismissal protection – 6 months’ service required and removal of cap on compensation
- Duty on employers to inform workers of their right to join a trade union
- Strengthening tipping law
March 2027
- Fire and rehire restrictions – dismissal for refusing to accept a restricted variation will be automatically unfair
- Action plans on gender equality and supporting employees through the menopause (mandatory for public authorities)
April 2027
- Collective redundancy trigger changes
- Bereavement leave (including miscarriage)
- Extending blacklisting protection
- Action plans on gender equality and supporting employees through the menopause (mandatory for private and voluntary sector employers)
August 2027
- Electronic and workplace balloting for recognition and derecognition ballots
September 2027
- Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs): restrictions regarding harassment and discrimination
October 2027
- Enhanced dismissal protections for pregnant women and new mothers
- Flexible working requests – duty on employers to consider requests reasonably. Will include additional requirements for what consultation must take place with an employee before rejecting their request.
Date TBC
- Zero and low hours and agency workers – right to guaranteed hours contacts and reasonable notice of shifts
Employment Rights Act summary brochure
A comprehensive overview of current and forthcoming provisions under the Employment Rights Act 2025.
We regularly update this brochure in line with new Government publications to ensure it remains current, therefore we recommend bookmarking this page and revisiting it periodically to access the latest version. This brochure was last updated on: 2 November 2026.
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