- with Senior Company Executives, HR and Inhouse Counsel
- in United Kingdom
- with readers working within the Retail & Leisure industries
The Employment Rights Bill is now an Act and it's time for employers to turn to their attention to when this suite of changes will actually take effect.
In July the government published a roadmap indicating when the key changes will happen. There have been some changes since then but recent updates indicate that the plan has largely remained intact, with a small number of measures taking effect immediately and others following in April and October 2026 and into 2027.
The consultation timetable has already fallen behind, but as indicated on the timeline below, many are expected in early 2026.
2025
Autumn 2025
Consultations on regulations
Launched:
- Enhance protections for maternity dismissals
- Bereavement leave
- Trade union access
- Trade union information
- E-balloting
December 2025
Employment Rights Bill passed
- Repeal of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 to take immediate effect.
2026
Winter 2025/early 2026
Consultations on regulations
Expected:
- Guaranteed hours
- Regulation of umbrella companies
- Review periods for ZHCs and definition of "low hours"
- NDAs?
- Protection against detriments for taking industrial action and blacklisting
- Regulation of tips
- Collective redundancy
- Flexible working
Launched:
- Fire and rehire
- Code of Practice on access and unfair practices during recognition and derecognition ballots
February 2026
Taking effect
- Repealing most of the Trade Union Act 2016 (on strikes).
- Simplifying industrial action and ballot notices.
April 2026
Taking effect
- Doubled protective award
- Day 1 paternity / parental leave
- SSP reforms
- Fair Work Agency set up
- TU recognition rules change
- Sexual harassment disclosure can count as whistleblowing
- Voluntary action plans on menopause and gender equality
- Menopause guidance
August 2026
Taking effect
- Electronic balloting for Statutory Trade Union Ballots.
2027
October 2026
Taking effect
- TU access to workplace rights
- "All" reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment
- Liability for third party harassment
- ET time limits increase
- Enhanced protections for union activity
- Tightening tipping laws
- Duty to inform workers of their right to join a trade union
January 2027
Taking effect
- Unfair dismissal at 6 months' service
- Removal of unfair dismissal cap
- Fire and rehire ban
TBC 2027
Taking effect
- Collective redundancy consultation threshold
- Guaranteed hours and shift scheduling
- Flexible working requests
- Mandatory gender pay gap and menopause action plans
- Enhanced protection for maternity returners
- Blacklisting and industrial relations framework
- Regulation of umbrella companies
- Bereavement leave
- Sexual harassment regulations
- Electronic and workplace balloting for recognition and derecognition ballots
2027 onwards
Longer term
- Gender pay gap outsourcing measures
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
