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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- The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 - was repealed immediately upon receiving Royal Assent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
Expected updates for August 2026
- Electronic balloting for Statutory Trade Union Ballots
October 2026
Government’s roadmap changes October 2026
- Procurement – reintroduction of measures which seek to prevent a “two-tier workforce” in public-sector outsourcing contracts
- Tightening laws on tipping employees
- Duty on employers to inform workers of their right to join a trade union
- 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: unfair practices in the recognition process
- Employment Tribunal time limits extended to 6 months (confirmed for 1 October 2026 for some claims – all other claims expected to follow for that date)
2027
January 2027
Changes proposed to take place in January 2027
- Unfair dismissal protection - 6 months’ service required (confirmed for 1 January 2027)
- Fire and rehire restrictions - Dismissal for refusing to accept a restricted variation will be automatically unfair
Later in 2027
Notable changes that are due to come into force in 2027
- Collective redundancy trigger changes
- Bereavement leave (including miscarriage)
- Zero and low hours and agency workers – right to guaranteed hours contacts and reasonable notice of shifts
- Flexible working requests
- Electronic balloting for Statutory Recognition / Derecognition Ballots
- Action plans on gender equality
- Enhanced dismissal protections for pregnant women and new mothers
- Extending blacklisting protection
- Specifying steps that are to be regarded as ‘reasonable’, to determine whether an employer has taken all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment
- Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs): harassment and discrimination
Employment Rights Act summary brochure
A comprehensive overview of current and forthcoming provisions under the Employment Rights Act 2025.
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