Employment Rights Act Timeline: Key Dates for Employers

The government has released a clear implementation roadmap for the Employment Rights Act 2025, outlining key employment law changes that will take effect from April 2026 through to 2027.

The Employment Rights Act 2025 has now been passed, with most reforms taking effect from April 2026 onwards. 

So when it comes to the changes, when exactly will they come into effect and how can your business prepare for them?

Employment Rights Act 2025 key dates at a glance

• April 2026 – SSP day-one, Fair Work Agency, redundancy penalties
  
• October 2026 – Stronger sexual harassment prevention duty, tribunal claim limits extend to six months
  
• January 2027 – Unfair dismissal after six months
  
• 2027 – Guaranteed hours, flexible working reasonableness test, equality action plans
  

When will the Employment Rights Act 2025 come into effect?

The government has now published its roadmap for delivering and implementing the Employment Rights Act 2025, confirming a phased rollout of reforms between 2026 and 2027.

For a detailed explanation of what each reform means in practice, see our in-depth guide to the Employment Rights Act 2025.

Rather than introducing all changes at once, the government has adopted a staged implementation approach. This is designed to give employers time to review policies, update contracts, train managers and prepare systems ahead of each reform coming into force.

Further detail on how certain provisions will operate will be set out in secondary legislation, with additional consultation taking place throughout 2026..

Here, we lay out exactly what is changing and when.

April 2026

At the beginning of the new tax year (26/27), the following policies will come into effect:

• Doubling the protective award for collective redundancies.
• Day one rights to paternity and unpaid parental leave.
• Enhanced whistleblower protections for sexual harassment.
• Establishment of a Fair Work Agency.
• Statutory Sick Pay (removal of lower‑earnings limit and making leave available from the first day of absence). Learn more about how statutory sick pay is changing in 2026.
• Reporting sexual harassment becomes a protected whistleblowing disclosure.

Download our in-depth Employment Rights Act 2025 guide here.

August 2026

• Simplification of trade union recognition and digital/workplace balloting systems.

October 2026

Around the time of the 2026 Autumn Budget, the following policies will come into effect:

• Stronger tipping laws.
• Employer duty to take ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment begins in October 2026 with detailed regulations to follow in 2027.
• Employer duty to inform workers of trade union rights.
• Extension of time limit to bring an employment tribunal claim to 6 months

2027

The following policies will come into effect in 2027:

• Unfair dismissal rights apply after six months’ service (from January 2027). Learn how unfair dismissal rules are changing.
• Ban on fire-and-rehire (from January 2027).
• Mandatory gender pay gap and menopause action plans for larger employers.
• New rights for pregnant workers.
• Flexible working rights strengthened. See more on flexible working rights for UK employers.
• Bereavement leave expanded.
• Limitation on using zero-hours contracts; obligations to provide notice of shift changes/cancellation. Zero-hours contract reforms explained here.
• Umbrella company regulation.

How will the provisions work and when are the consultations?

More details on how the new provisions will work, will be contained in separate legislation to be introduced at a later date. The government is also still consulting with the public on what should go into these regulations. 

Consultations are taking place throughout 2026 to cover the exact details regarding: 

• Bereavement leave. 
• Pregnancy-related-rights.
• The ban on zero-hours contracts.
• Collective redundancies.

Feel confident with your business’ compliance with Employment Hero

All employers will need to make sure they update their policies, procedures and contracts to align with the new laws, as well as ensuring their payroll system is set up to account for the various changes that affect what employees are paid and the leave they can take. Keeping on top of your policies is going to be key as we progress through the government’s timeline.

Our HR Advisory team is always on hand to help you with your compliance needs and provide guidance during these changes. You can get in touch with them to discuss HR Advisory support for employers today. 

Download our in-depth Employment Rights Act 2025 guide here.