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Employment Rights Act 2025

The Employment Right Act 2025 is now law bringing in significant changes to the world of HR over the next two years. Here you can keep up to date with upcoming changes, unpacking what they mean and how to prepare.

Employment Rights Act 2025

Your practical guide to the Act

Employment Rights Act 2025 toolkit

Your one-stop shop for understanding and preparing for reforms in the Act. Whether you are looking for a quick recap on the Act as a whole, or a deep dive into an individual change, GLU is here to help with a range of different ways to access the content you need, when you need it.

And, as a Peninsula client, we will ensure your documentation is up to date and compliant with all the changes in the Act. If you want to learn more about what will need to change, you can download and fill out the HR Documentation Impact Assessment below.

Catch up on our previous Employment Rights Act 2025 webinars.

Find out what's changing when with our BRAINBOX+ timeline summaries.

Boost your knowledge with on-demand sessions for key upcoming reforms.

Access BRAINBOX+ for instant answers to your Employment Rights Act 2025 questions.

Learn from the experts

Recent webinars

HR & Employment Law

ACT Now: Preparing for new Trade Union rights

This session covers:

✓ The new duty to inform all workers of their right to join a trade union

✓ How unions will be able to gain statutory access to your workplace to recruit, organise, and support workers

✓ The documentation, policies, and processes you need

HR & Employment Law

ACT Now: Understanding your new harassment obligations

This session covers:

✓ How the ERA25 increases your responsibility to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace

✓ The extended employer liability for third-party harassment against workers

✓ The policies, processes, and procedures you need to change to meet these new requirements

Employment Rights Act 2025 Timeline

Scroll through the timeline and click on each tile to find out what's happening at each stage. Want to know more? Click 'Learn More' for more information on each stage of the timeline:

Royal Assent (18th December 2025)

Repeal of Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023

18th February 2026

Repeal of the majority of the Trade Union Act 2016
Removal of the 10-year ballot requirement for trade union political funds
Simplification of industrial action processes
Enhanced dismissal protections for taking industrial action

6th April 2026

Expansion of SSP eligibility
Removal of qualifying period for paternity and parental leave
Whistleblowing protections for sexual harassment disclosures
Doubling of maximum protective award
Simplification of trade union recognition processes
Introduction of a new duty to keep annual leave records for six years

7th April 2026

Establishment of the Fair Work Agency

25th August 2026

Electronic and workplace balloting for trade union ballots

1st October 2026

Extension of tribunal claim time limits

30th October 2026

Enhanced harassment obligations
Reforms to trade union access, and protections for reps and those taking industrial action

By End of 2026

Tightening of tips laws

1st January 2027

Reduction of the qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims
Removal of the compensation cap for successful unfair dismissal claims
Fire and rehire restrictions

January 2027

Duty to inform of right to join a union

2027

Zero-hour and low-hour contract reforms
Introduction of bereavement leave (April 2027)
Extension of flexible working obligations (Autumn 2027)
Reasonable steps for harassment outlined in regulations
Enhanced protections for pregnant workers
Mandatory equality action plans (Spring 2027)
NDAs - ban on harassment/discrimination confidentiality clauses

Key changes under the Employment Rights Act 2025

Click on each tile to find out more about each of the key changes in the Act. Still want more? Click 'Learn More' to register for an upcoming webinar or catch-up on one of our specific on-demand sessions:

Unfair dismissal rights

The qualifying service to make an unfair dismissal claim will be reduced from two years to six months. Additionally, the compensation cap for successful claims will be removed. (Implementation Date: 1st January 2027)

Statutory Sick Pay

All workers will be entitled to SSP from their first day of absence at a rate of 80% of their usual earnings, or the flat rate, whichever is lower. (Implementation Date: 6th April 2026)

Paternity and unpaid parental leave

Removal of the qualifying service requirement, making both types of leave a day-one right. (Implementation Date: 6th April 2026)

Enforcement (Fair Work Agency)

Establishment of new enforcement body that will be able to issue notices of underpayment, check businesses' compliance to employment law, and support workers with tribunal claims including bringing them on their behalf. (Implementation Date: 7th April 2026)

Whistleblowing

Disclosures about sexual harassment in the public interest will qualify as a 'protected disclosure'. (Implementation Date: 6th April 2026)

Collective consultation

Doubling of the maximum protective award to 180 days, and changes to the thresholds making collective consultation required in more situations. (Implementation Date: 6th April 2026 and 2027)

Zero-hour contracts

Zero-hour and low-hour workers, as well as agency, will have the right to be offered a guaranteed hours contract reflecting their usual hours. Additionally, they will be entitled to either notice or compensation for shift changes, curtailments, or cancellations. (Implementation Date: 2027)

Fire and rehire

Dismissal for failing to agree to a variation of T&Cs will be automatically unfair in most circumstances unless the employer can show significant financial difficulties that affect the viability of their business. (Implementation Date: 1st January 2027)

Trade unions (repeal of current laws)

Repeal of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 and the majority of the Trade Union Act 2016 simplifying industrial action processes and enhancing protections from dismissal for taking part in industrial action. Implementation Date: 18th December 2025/18th February 2026)

Tribunal claim time limits

The time limit to bring a tribunal claim will increase from 3 months to 6 months. (Implementation Date: 1st October 2026)

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