KR HR & TRAINING NEWS ARTICLES

The Employment Rights Bill became the Employment Rights Act 2025 in December, after finally gaining royal assent. This followed a period of “parliamentary ping-pong” where key elements of the Bill were debated between the House of Lords and the House of Commons. A particular hurdle was the proposed “day one” employment rights, which was revised to a 6-month qualifying period for unfair dismissal.

We are pleased to now have certainty regarding the new legislation and when it will come into effect.

Much of the Government’s Roadmap published in July 2025 still stands, outlining a phased approach to significant updates in UK employment law.

The Roadmap sets out how and when key changes, such as the extension of flexible working rights, changes to sick pay, and improvements to family-friendly policies, will be implemented. While many details are still under consultation, the plan reflects a strong commitment to enhancing the balance between work and personal life in UK workplaces.

Our director Kathryn Fairlie, commented:
“This Roadmap offers much-needed clarity for employers preparing for upcoming legislative changes. We’re pleased to see that in response to both a challenging economic climate and feedback from employers and bodies such as CIPD and the Recruitment & Employment Confederation, the changes are staggered over a couple of years, with some of the most talked about measures, including cutting the qualifying period for unfair dismissal pushed back until 2027. However, all organisations will need to be aware of significant changes to sick pay and family leave coming in 2026”

Here’s a summary of the key implementation dates:

Imminent:
* Immediate repeal of the strikes (minimum service levels) act 2023 and most of the Trade Union Act 2016 to create a better relationship with unions that will prevent the need for strikes.
* Protections against dismissal for going on strike.

April 2026:
* Collective redundancy protective award
* Day one paternity leave and unpaid parental leave
* Whistleblowing protections
* Fair work agency established
* Statutory Sick Pay – removing the lower earnings limit and waiting period
* Various trade union measures

In addition, under separate legislation being rolled out at the same time as these changes in April, there will be a new form of bereavement leave for partners of mothers who die within a year of giving birth, or after the placement of a child in the case of a main adopter. This will give the right for any remaining period of the 52-week maternity leave to be switched to the surviving parent.

October 2026:
* Ending “unscrupulous” fire and rehire
* Regulations to establish the fair pay in adult social care
* Tightening tipping law
* Further protections around sexual harassment
* More trade union measures

2027:
* Right to protection from unfair dismissal after 6 months (changed from the proposed “day one” right but still a significant change from the current 2 year period)
* Gender pay gap and menopause action plans (introduced on a voluntary basis in Apr 2026)
* Enhanced dismissal protections for pregnant women and new mothers
* Further harassment protections, specifying reasonable steps which will help determine whether an employer has taken all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment to provide clearer guidance and stronger enforcement
* Framework for industrial relations to build a fairer, more collaborative approach to workplace relations.
* Bereavement leave
* Ending the “exploitative use” of zero hours contracts
* Improving access to flexible working

As always, our message to local businesses is simple: don’t wait. Start reviewing your policies, employment contracts and procedures now, so you’re ready to meet new obligations confidently and compliantly.

We encourage businesses to:
1) Stay Informed – Monitor legislative updates and planned implementation dates.
2) Review Internal Policies, handbooks and contracts – Especially flexible working, sickness absence management, probationary reviews and parental rights procedures.
3) Engage Teams – Prepare managers for conversations around absence and performance.
4) Have your say – Contribute to the government consultations. This is easy to do online.
5) Seek Expert Guidance – Ensuring HR frameworks are proactive, fair and legally sound.

With wide-ranging impacts expected across all sectors, here at KR HR & Training Consultancy we are supporting SMEs and non-profits through regular newsletters and briefings, bespoke policy reviews, and training for line managers.

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This article was originally published in July 2025, and updated after the Employment Rights Bill gained royal assent in December 2025.

Download our Guide to Employment Rights Act Roadmap.