Guides

The Code of Practice (Electronic and Workplace Balloting for Statutory Trade Union Ballots) Order 2026, laid before Parliament on 28 July 2026, confirms that the Code of Practice on Electronic and Workplace Balloting for Statutory Trade Union Ballots will come into force on 25 August 2026.

Various provisions included in the Employment Rights Act 2025 will need secondary legislation to bring them fully into force. To proceed, the Government has launched two consultations, applying to England, Scotland and Wales, to seek comments on the details in two specific areas.

The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, led her Spring Statement in Parliament with four proud statements: inflation is down, borrowing is down, living standards are up and the economy is growing.

Among the important changes, dismissal for taking part in protected industrial action is now “automatically unfair”, removing the previous 12-week limit for claiming unfair dismissal and extending it through the whole period of industrial action.

In its election manifesto, Labour promised that it would remove the age bands on the minimum wage rates which currently see a worker aged 21 and over earning £12.21 per hour while an 18-year-old colleague is paid £10 per hour.

The January 2026 labour market statistics, released by the Office for National Statistics, show that one in three unemployed adults aged between 16–64 want to work (35.7%).

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