Flexible and family rights

The Employment Rights Act 2025 makes it easier to balance work with raising a family, caring, and coping with a loss. Key changes in this area include:

• paternity leave becomes a day‑one right, so more new dads and partners can take time off after birth or adoption
• unpaid parental leave also becomes a day‑one right – parents don’t lose out when they change jobs
• stronger protection from dismissal for pregnant workers, during maternity leave, and after they return
• a new right to bereavement leave, including after pregnancy loss before 24 weeks
• stronger rules on flexible working requests so employers give them proper consideration before rejecting and explain why they think a refusal is reasonable.

Explore the guidance below to find out more about what these changes mean for you.

If you’re not already a union member, you can use our Union Finder tool to find out which one would be the best fit.

We also have a useful toolkit to guide you through the key reforms - Employment Rights Act toolkit.