The Government has published an updated timeline of its planned implementation dates for the changes on the way under the Employment Rights Act 2025. This includes the latest timetable for measures being introduced in 2026.
Key changes to the timeline from the Government’s Plan to Make Work Pay, published on 1 July 2025, include:
a specified date for the establishment of the Fair Work Agency which will take effect on 7 April 2026
What will the Fair Work Agency do?measures on fire and re-hire that were previously expected to come into force in October 2026 but have now been pushed back to January 2027
removal of the cap on compensatory awards for unfair dismissal, which is now expected in January 2027
changes to electronic and workplace balloting for statutory trade union ballots will take effect in August 2026 (previously these measures were included with April 2026 changes).
The timings will be kept under review as the Government consults and develops the details of these changes.
