Employer implementation tracker

Employment Rights Act 2025

A practical schedule for what has changed, what comes next and what employers should prepare now.

Checked against official guidance05.09.2026

Future dates remain subject to parliamentary processes and may change. This page distinguishes confirmed dates from measures currently listed only as “in 2027”.

IN FORCE

December 2025 to August 2026

Minimum service level rules for strikes repealed at Royal Assent.
Major Trade Union Act 2016 changes repealed and industrial action protections strengthened from 18 February 2026.
Day-one paternity and unpaid parental leave, SSP from day one with no lower earnings limit, a doubled collective redundancy protective award and sexual-harassment whistleblowing protection from 6 April 2026.
Fair Work Agency established on 7 April 2026.
Electronic and workplace balloting for statutory trade union ballots from 25 August 2026.

Employer priority

Check that leave, sickness, redundancy, whistleblowing and holiday-record processes reflect the rules already in force.

1 OCT 2026

Longer tribunal claim limits

The time limit for most Employment Tribunal claims increases from three to six months.
For breach-of-contract claims in Scotland, the change follows on 9 November 2026.

Employer priority

Extend document-retention, escalation and insurer-notification routines so evidence remains accessible for the longer risk window.

30 OCT 2026

Harassment and trade union duties

Employers must take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment.
Employers become responsible for preventing third-party harassment by customers, clients and others.
New duty to inform workers of the right to join a trade union, with stronger access, recognition and representative rights.
Wider protection from detriment for taking industrial action.
Adult Social Care Negotiating Body regulations and the public-sector outsourcing two-tier code are introduced.

Employer priority

Refresh risk assessments, reporting routes, third-party controls, manager training and worker communications before the end of October.

DEC 2026

Sector-specific and tipping changes

Seafarer Protection Regulations take effect on 1 December 2026.
Stronger tipping rules are expected by the end of 2026, including consultation and regular policy review.

Employer priority

Hospitality employers should plan worker consultation and a three-year review cycle for their tipping policy.

1 JAN 2027

Unfair dismissal and fire-and-rehire

Ordinary unfair-dismissal protection moves from two years’ service to six months for dismissals from this date.
The compensatory award cap for unfair dismissal is removed.
Dismissal and re-engagement on worse terms becomes automatically unfair in most cases, subject to the legislation’s exceptions.

Employer priority

Review probation, capability, conduct, fixed-term expiry and contractual-change procedures during autumn 2026—not after the new threshold arrives.

DURING 2027

Dates still to be confirmed

Guaranteed-hours rights, reasonable notice of shifts and short-notice payments.
A reasonableness requirement when refusing flexible working requests.
Bereavement leave, including pregnancy loss.
Stronger dismissal protection during pregnancy and after maternity leave.
Mandatory gender pay gap and menopause action plans for large employers.
Organisation-wide collective redundancy threshold, umbrella-company regulation, NDA restrictions, blacklisting protections and further industrial-relations changes.

Employer priority

Keep these items on the policy roadmap, but avoid presenting an unconfirmed 2027 month as settled law.

Primary sources

Timings are based on the UK Government’s timeline update, cross-checked against Acas guidance and the Employment Rights Act 2025. This is general information, not legal advice. Check the current commencement regulations before acting on a future measure.

Turn the timetable into an action plan

Prioritise the policies, manager training and records your organisation needs next.

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