The Employment Rights Bill, introduced in October 2024, is set to make significant changes to UK employment law.
The Bill is currently at the Report stage in the House of Lords and is expected to receive Royal Assent later this year. In July 2025 the Government published an Implementation Roadmap which sets out further details of the reforms that will be introduced over the next two years. The roadmap also signals upcoming consultations and secondary legislation that will help shape how the new rules are to be applied.
In this newsletter, we will look at the timeline of key changes ahead and what employers need to do now to prepare.
A phased approach to reform
Rather than introducing all reforms at once, the Government has opted for a staged timeline to introduce the changes which runs from the date the Bill passes into law (expected end of 2025) through to 2027. The phased implementation will give businesses time to prepare for the changes.
What happens at Royal Assent?
Once the Bill receives Royal Assent, several provisions are expected to come into force immediately. These include:
- Repealing the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 and significant parts of the Trade Union Act 2016.
- Workers will also gain legal protection against dismissal for taking part in lawful industrial action.
These early reforms are designed to restore balance in employer-union relations and safeguard the right to strike.
April 2026
April 2026 will see the start of broader reforms including:
- “Day 1” paternity leave and unpaid parental leave rights.
- Statutory Sick Pay rules changes making support more accessible for lower-paid workers.
- A new Fair Work Agency will be established to monitor compliance and strengthen enforcement of employment rights.
- There will also be changes to the collective redundancy protective award, doubling the protective period from 90 to 180 days.
- Whistleblowing protections extended to disclosures of sexual harassment.
October 2026
In October 2026, a second phase of changes will take effect. Key changes include:
- Employers will be prohibited from using “fire and rehire” tactics during contractual disputes.
- Businesses will also be required to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.
- Introduction of an obligation on employers not to permit the harassment of their employees by third parties.
- Rules around tipping will also be revised to ensure all tips go directly to staff and are distributed fairly.
- Employment tribunal time limits will increase from three to six months.
2027 and beyond
The last set of reforms are expected to come into force in 2027. Key changes include:
- Day 1 right to protection from unfair dismissal removing the current two-year qualifying period.
- The use of exploitative zero-hours contracts will be restricted
- Greater protections from dismissal for pregnant women and new mothers returning from maternity leave.
- Power to enable regulations to specify steps that are to be regarded as “reasonable” to determine whether an employer has taken all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment.
- Flexible working
- A statutory right to bereavement leave including for those who suffer pregnancy loss before 24 weeks.
How 3CS can help
With so many changes coming, employers need to stay informed and act early to be ready for the forthcoming changes. 3CS can help your business understand the changes to come and to prepare for change.
We can audit your existing policies and procedures and contracts and train your managers and HR teams to be ready for the many changes ahead from fair dismissal procedures to changes to leave / sick pay processes. Get in touch today to ensure you are ready for what lies ahead.
