Employment Rights Act 2025: key dates for employers (2026

In short

The Employment Rights Act 2025 is the biggest change to UK employment law in decades, and it arrives in stages.
The next big date is 30 October 2026, when the harassment duty is strengthened and employers become liable for harassment by customers and clients.
From 1 January 2027, people can claim unfair dismissal after six months in the job instead of two years.

This page covers the changes most likely to affect a small or medium-sized employer. Some dates later in 2027 are still expected rather than confirmed.

April 2026 (in force)

Statutory Sick Pay is paid from the first day of sickness, and the lower earnings limit is removed, so lower-paid employees qualify.
Paternity leave and unpaid parental leave become day-one rights.
Bereaved partners can take up to 52 weeks’ paternity leave if the mother or primary adopter dies in the child’s first year.
Whistleblowing: reporting sexual harassment becomes a protected disclosure.
Collective redundancy: the maximum protective award for failing to consult doubles to 180 days’ pay.
Holiday records: employers must keep records of annual leave and holiday pay.
Fair Work Agency: a new body to enforce rights such as the minimum wage, holiday pay and sick pay, set up on 7 April 2026.

October 2026

30 October: sexual harassment. Employers must take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, and become liable for harassment of their staff by third parties. Read our guide to the harassment duty.
Tribunal time limits for most claims are expected to increase from three months to six.
Tipping: employers who receive tips must consult workers on their tipping policy and review it at least every three years.
Trade unions: new rights of access to workplaces, and a duty to tell workers in writing that they have the right to join a union.

January 2027

Unfair dismissal: the qualifying period falls from two years to six months, and the cap on compensation is expected to be removed.

Expected in 2027

Equality action plans, covering the gender pay gap and menopause, become mandatory for employers with 250 or more staff.
Zero-hours and low-hours workers get the right to be offered guaranteed hours.
Employers must explain more fully why they refuse a flexible working request.
New statutory bereavement leave, including for pregnancy loss.
Stronger protection from dismissal for pregnant workers and new mothers.
Limits on using non-disclosure agreements to stop people speaking about harassment and discrimination.
Regulations setting out which steps count as reasonable for preventing sexual harassment.

What to do now

Check your sick pay, family leave and holiday record-keeping reflect the April changes.
Get ready for 30 October: harassment policy, risk assessment and a way for staff to raise concerns.
Review how you run probation and manage performance in the first six months, before unfair dismissal rights start earlier.
Find out how your people are doing now. With claims possible sooner and for longer, the earlier you hear about a problem, the better.

Questions

When did the Employment Rights Act 2025 come into force?

It is being brought in over several stages. Some changes took effect soon after it became law, the main April 2026 changes started on 6 April 2026, and further changes follow in October 2026, January 2027 and later in 2027.

When does the unfair dismissal qualifying period change?

From 1 January 2027 the qualifying period for ordinary unfair dismissal claims falls from two years to six months.

What changes for employers in October 2026?

The duty to prevent sexual harassment becomes a duty to take all reasonable steps, employers become liable for harassment by third parties such as customers, the time limit for most tribunal claims is expected to double to six months, and new tipping and trade union requirements apply.

Sources

This guide is general information about the law in England, Wales and Scotland as we understand it on the date above. It isn’t legal advice. Speak to an employment lawyer about your situation.