What's changing in UK employment law
Every confirmed change and the date it takes effect, checked against the legislation itself. The next one lands 30th October 2026 — in 11 days.
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Trade union recognition: changes from 30th October 2026
From 30th October 2026, further Employment Rights Act 2025 changes to statutory trade union recognition and derecognition apply. The ban on unfair practices (for example pressuring or rewarding workers over how they vote) now covers the whole recognition process, from the point the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) accepts a union's application. Applications the CAC received before 30th October 2026 continue under the previous rules. The existing three-year restrictions still apply: a union whose application fails generally cannot reapply for the same bargaining unit for three years, and recognition cannot be challenged until three years after it was granted.
New trade union rights
From 30th October 2026, trade unions get earlier access to workers during the recognition process, workplace representatives gain rights to paid time off and access to facilities, and workers are protected from detriment for taking part in industrial action.
Third-party harassment duty
From 30th October 2026, employers must take ALL reasonable steps to prevent harassment of their employees by THIRD PARTIES — customers, clients, patients, service users, contractors, suppliers and members of the public. This covers all relevant protected characteristics (age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation), not sexual harassment alone. The previous 'three strikes' rule is removed: there is no requirement for two prior incidents, and no requirement that the employer knew about them, so liability can arise from a single first incident. Third-party harassment protection was repealed in 2013 and this restores it in a stronger form. Government guidance indicates the expectations on employers for third-party harassment are somewhat lower than for harassment by their own staff, but the standard is still 'all reasonable steps', so employers should be able to evidence what they did to prevent it.
Trade union workplace access: employer response and notification rules
From 30th October 2026, employers must follow new rules when responding to trade union requests for access to the workplace. Employer response notices must include specific information and follow the prescribed form and procedure. Employers must also comply with set procedures for access agreements and notify the Central Arbitration Committee when an access agreement is made.
sexual harassment, all reasonable steps
From 30th October 2026, employers must take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their employees. This raises the previous duty to take "reasonable steps".
Compensatory award cap removed
For dismissals on or after 1st January 2027, there is no cap on the unfair dismissal compensatory award. Dismissals before that date keep the £123,543 cap.
Duty to inform workers of their right to join a trade union
From 1st January 2027, employers must give workers a written statement of their right to join a trade union, using the standard statement provided by the government, which may not be changed other than to add workplace details, and including a link to (or copy of) the Certification Officer's list of trade unions. New starters receive it with their written statement of particulars. Existing workers must be given it by 5th April 2027, either directly or by making it reasonably accessible; if given directly it must be repeated by 5th April each year, and if made accessible employers must send an annual reminder of where it is and tell workers in writing within one month if its location changes. This duty was originally due on 30th October 2026 and was moved to 1st January 2027.
Fire and rehire automatically unfair
Dismissing an employee who will not agree to a change to core terms — reductions to pay, changes to total hours, reductions to leave entitlement, changes to pensions, or specified shift pattern changes — and then re-engaging them, becomes automatically unfair. A narrow exemption applies only where the employer can show genuine financial difficulties affecting its viability, that the change was to address those difficulties, and that it could not reasonably have been avoided. Even then a tribunal will still assess whether the dismissal was fair, including whether the employer consulted and what was offered in return. Changes to non-core terms such as location or job role are not automatically unfair, but attract enhanced protection from the same date.
Unfair dismissal protection after 6 months
Unfair dismissal protection applies after 6 months' service, down from the current 2 years.
Menopause and gender pay gap action plans
Menopause and gender pay gap action plans become mandatory for employers with 250 or more employees. Employers may publish these voluntarily from April 2026.
Tipping law consultation
Not yet in force and no start date has been confirmed, employers must consult workers or their representatives before introducing or reviewing a tipping policy, and must repeat this consultation at least once every three years. Employers must give workers a written, anonymised summary of the consultation feedback. Non-compliance can be enforced via an employment tribunal claim, with compensation of up to £5,000 for financial loss.
Already in force this year
Changes that have already taken effect. If you have not reviewed your policies since these landed, they are the place to start.
Right to work checks: digital verification and new codes of practice (from 1 October 2026)
From 1st October 2026, employers must follow updated rules for right-to-work checks, including expanded options for digital verification of immigration status documents. Employers must also comply with new codes of practice on civil penalties and on avoiding unlawful discrimination when checking and recording employees' right to work in the UK.
Illegal working checks extended to all working arrangements
From 1st October 2026, the illegal working rules and civil penalties extend beyond employees to a wider range of working arrangements, including some casual, gig and sub-contracted work. Businesses that engage people outside a contract of employment should check whether right-to-work checks now apply to them. Liability for people working further down a contractor chain applies to contracts entered into on or after 1st October 2026.
Employment Tribunal time limit extension (ERA 2025)
For most Employment Tribunal claims, including unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing and breach of contract, the time limit is 6 months less one day where the event happened on or after 1st October 2026. Events before that date keep the 3-month limit, even if the claim is made later. For breach of contract, the date that counts is the date employment ended. Acas early conciliation must still be started within the time limit, and it now lasts up to 12 weeks.
All close and frequent work with children is regulated activity (from 1 September 2026)
From 1st September 2026, in England and Wales, any role involving close and frequent work with children is classed as 'regulated activity', even if the worker is supervised. Employers must treat these roles as regulated activity, making them eligible for enhanced DBS checks with children's barred list checks, and must comply with all legal duties for regulated activity roles.
Fair Work Agency
The Fair Work Agency launched on 7th April 2026 as the new state enforcement body for employment rights.
SSP weekly rate
Statutory Sick Pay is 123.25 GBP per week, or 80 percent of weekly earnings if lower.
Bereaved Partner's Paternity Leave
Up to 52 weeks of unpaid leave is available if the mother or primary adopter dies within one year of the child's birth or adoption, regardless of length of service. From 6th April 2026, employers must allow eligible employees to take bereaved partner’s paternity leave if the child’s primary carer dies within the first year after birth or adoption. Employees must comply with specific notice requirements to start, vary, or cancel the leave, and to notify the employer of their intended return date.
Holiday pay records
Employers must keep annual leave and holiday pay records for at least 6 years.
Unfair dismissal compensatory award cap
The unfair dismissal compensatory award cap is 123,543 GBP.
Sexual harassment is a qualifying disclosure
Disclosures about sexual harassment are qualifying disclosures under whistleblowing law. Workers who disclose sexual harassment are protected from detriment and unfair dismissal.
Paternity and unpaid parental leave - day-one rights
Paternity leave and unpaid parental leave are day-one rights with no qualifying service period, for children born or placed on or after 6th April 2026.
Statutory family pay weekly rate
Statutory family pay (maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental and bereavement) is 194.32 GBP per week.
Statutory Sick Pay - day-one right
From 6th April 2026, statutory sick pay is paid from the first day of illness, instead of the fourth day, and the lower earnings limit has been removed – workers do not need to earn a minimum amount to be eligible for statutory sick pay.
Collective redundancy protective award doubled
The maximum collective redundancy protective award is 180 days' pay per affected employee for failure to collectively consult.
Vento bands
Vento bands for injury to feelings in discrimination claims: lower 1,300-12,600 GBP; middle 12,600-37,700 GBP; upper 37,700-62,900 GBP.
Week's pay cap
The cap on a week's pay for redundancy payments and the basic award is 751 GBP.
Minimum service levels during strikes repealed
From 6th April 2026, employers can no longer require minimum staffing levels during industrial action in any sector. All rules and Codes of Practice relating to minimum service levels during strikes, including the power to issue work notices and the Code of Practice on Reasonable Steps for Trade Unions, are revoked following the repeal of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023.
Non-original maternity certificates accepted for statutory maternity pay
From 1st April 2026, employers can accept non-original (such as scanned or photocopied) maternity certificates as evidence for statutory maternity pay claims, rather than requiring an original completed in ink. This change eases the evidence requirements for employees and HR managers when processing statutory maternity pay.
Dates reflect the commencement position at the time of writing and can move. Each entry links to its source. This is general guidance on UK employment law, not legal advice.