Implementation Dates on Employment Rights Changes
20th August 2025
At the beginning of June we highlighted a number of changes to Employment Law that were coming from the Employment Rights Bill. At that time there was no set implementation date for any of the changes. The Government has now released a timetable that outlines some of the implementation dates that we can now share with you.
Life and Family-Friendly Changes
| Changes | Implementation Date |
|---|---|
| Parental Leave and Paternity Leave will become a day one right. | April 2026 |
| Bereavement Leave will be introduced as a day one right and is expected to be one week of leave. | 2027 |
| Bereavement Leave due to miscarriage will be extended to baby loss before 24 weeks and is expected to be 2 weeks of leave for both parents. | 2027 |
| Bereaved Partner’s Leave will be introduced to allow the father or partner to take extended leave on the death of the birth mother. | 2027 |
| Enhanced dismissal protection for pregnant women and new mums to ensure job security in pregnancy, maternity leave and the return to work period (up to 6 months). | 2027 |
| A requirement for employers to explain why it was reasonable to refuse a flexible working request. | 2027 |
Changes to Trade Union Recognition
| Changes | Implementation Date |
|---|---|
| A simpler process for TU recognition | April 2026 |
| The figure for Statutory Trade Union recognition will be lowered making it easier to gain recognition within an organisation. | April 2026 |
| There will be a new right for Trade Unions to access workplaces (whether unionised or not) to meet and organise members. | October 2026 |
| A new duty on employers to inform workers of their right to join a trade union. | October 2026 |
| A requirement to include information about the right to join a trade union in a written statement and regularly inform workers of their right to join a trade union thereafter. | October 2026 |
Sessional / Zero Hour Contracts
| Changes | Implementation Date |
|---|---|
| There will be a new right to guaranteed hours to reflect the hours they regularly work. | 2027 |
| There will also be a right to reasonable notice to change shifts or working hours. | 2027 |
Unfair Dismissal
| Changes | Implementation Date |
|---|---|
| The 2 year service required for unfair dismissal will be removed and employees will have the right to claim unfair dismissal from day one of employment. | 2027 |
| There will be the introduction of a statutory probation period – this is expected to be 9 months. | 2027 |
Statutory Sick Pay
| Changes | Implementation Date |
|---|---|
| The current 3-day waiting period will be removed, and SSP will apply from day one of the absence. | April 2026 |
| The Lower Earnings Limit for Statutory Sick Pay will be removed. | April 2026 |
Employment Tribunal Changes
| Changes | Implementation Date |
|---|---|
| The timescale for submitting a claim will increase from 3 to 6 months. | October 2026 |
| There will be the introduction of a new government-funded agency (Fair Work Agency) to support employees to bring claims against an employer. | April 2026 |
Sexual Harassment
| Changes | Implementation Date |
|---|---|
| A requirement for employers to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of their employees. | October 2026 |
| Obligation on employers not to permit the harassment of their employees by third parties. | October 2026 |
| Further harassment protection to determine if an employer has taken “all reasonable steps” alongside stronger enforcement. | 2027 |
How to prepare
Our infographic gives a visual guide to the upcoming changes and we would recommend you share this information with your Senior Managers and Board.
There are Government consultations planned in Summer/Autumn 2025 and again in Winter/Early 2026. These consultations will discuss the finer details of the planned changes. From the consultation there will be secondary legislation or regulations that will provide more detail. There will also be Codes of Practice and guidance produced by the Government and other agencies such as ACAS. This will give us the information we need to correctly and fairly implement the changes within our organisations.
Until then we have outlined a basic action plan to support you in these early stages. There is also a downloadable Action Plan that you can use within your organisation to help you navigate the timescales and find your starting point.
Action plan
The action plan below outlines our recommended approach to managing the upcoming changes. Or, jump to our timeline infographic here.
2025
- Review your budgets to consider any increased costs from Statutory Sick Pay.
- Review policies and contracts that refer to waiting days and lower earning limits for Statutory Sick Pay.
- Review how you manage short term absence to deal with any increase. Consider implementing an Absence Policy if you don’t already have one. Or if you do have a policy we recommend reviewing this.
- Become familiar with Trade Union recognition and what this could look like in your organisation. Consider what mechanisms you have for employee voice.
Start of 2026
- Review and update your maternity leave policy and family leave policy to ensure the new provisions are included. – for April 2026
- Plan to review your staff contracts to include the right to join a Trade Union. Consider if this could be covered in your day 1 induction plan or detailed in your staff handbook. – for October 2026
- Review how you deal with HR issues at an early stage using best practice to reduce your risk of employment tribunal claims.
- Review your Bullying and Harassment Policies. Consider refresh training for all employees.
Second half of 2026
- Further review and update your maternity leave policy and family leave policy to ensure the new provisions are included.
- Review how you manage your zero hour contracts and variable working patterns. Consider if seasonal contracts, fixed term contracts or overtime plans are a better arrangement for your organisation.
- Seek HR support where you have a redundancy situation, particularly if it involves a pregnant woman or new mum.
- Plan for the new statutory probation period by reviewing your current induction and probation process. Review policies and contracts that refer to probation periods.
- Review your recruitment process, performance management process and disciplinary policy in consideration of unfair dismissal being a day one right. Consider how you will get the best person for the role and how you will deal with performance and conduct issues using a fair and compliant process.
Join our exclusive three-part training series to help voluntary sector employers prepare for changes from the Employment Rights Bill. Sign up as a package and save.
Plus, receive our planning resource free!
Receive a fully detailed Action Plan template which can be customised for your organisation when you sign up for our training package.
We’re on Hand for Help and Advice
The People and Safety Service will provide regular updates on the changes, including training on key topics.
Visit our training page here for upcoming dates, including our 3-part training course to get you ready for the upcoming changes.
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