What will the Employment Rights Act mean for workers rights in the UK?

Implementation timeline

The timeline below highlights when key changes take effect, including reforms to trade union and industrial action rules, expanded worker protections, new enforcement bodies, and additional workplace rights.

As implementation is phased, different measures - such as day-one employment rights, changes to industrial action rules and enhanced protections against unfair dismissal - will come into force at different points over the next two years.

Use the sections below to explore what changes happen when and what they mean as a worker or employer.

18 December 2025 - Act becomes law

• Employment Rights Act 2025 achieves Royal Assent and becomes statute
• Immediate change: Repeal of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023

18 February 2026 - First major set of changes

New trade union and industrial action rules: 

Simplified rules for taking industrial action 

• The 40% support threshold  for strikes in important public services (IPS) has been removed.
• Mandates for industrial action are increased to 12 months.
• Unions must give employers 10 days' notice of industrial action (previously 14).
• Unions no longer need to tell employers in advance how many workers in each role may strike. 

Simpler ballot rules 

• Ballot papers no longer need lengthy explanations of the dispute or action timetable.
• Members simply vote on the action they want to take: strike action or action short of a strike. 

Changes affecting public sector unions 

• Employers cannot charge unions admin fees for deducting subscriptions from pay.
• Public bodies no longer have to publish facility time data.
• The unused legal power to cap facility time has been removed. 

Unfair picketing rules scrapped 

• Unions no longer have to appoint a picket supervisor or follow the previous detailed supervisor requirements. 

Stronger protection for workers 

• Taking part in lawful industrial action is automatically protected from unfair dismissal, with no 12-week time limit. 

Parental leave 

• From 6 April 2026, employees will be eligible for parental leave from the first day of employment. 
• Parents who become eligible on 6 April 2026 because of this law change can give notice from 18 February. 

6 April 2026 - Workplace rights expand

A significant cluster of worker protections takes effect: 

• Doubling of maximum collective redundancy protective award.
• Day-1 paternity leave and unpaid parental leave rights.
• Stronger whistleblower protection for reporting sexual harassment.
• Removal of Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) waiting period and Lower Earnings Limit.
• New guidance/action plans on gender equality and menopause support (voluntary).
• Simplified trade union recognition process.
• Bereaved partners paternity leave 

7 April 2026 - Fair Work Agency

The new Fair Work Agency is established to oversee employment rights enforcement.  

August 2026 - Modernising ballots

Electronic and workplace balloting for statutory trade union ballots begins.  

October 2026 - Further rights take effect

Key employment protections roll out: 

• Two-tier code in public procurement.
• Duty to inform workers of right to join a union.
• Tightened tipping protections for workers
• Strengthened union access rights.
• Expanded protections against harassment (including by third parties).
• New rights and protections for union representatives.
• Extended protection from detriment for taking industrial action.
• Employment tribunal time limit changes also scheduled (earliest it will be implemented is October).  

December 2026 - Seafarers' charter

Mandatory Seafarers’ Charter comes into effect.  

January 2027 - Unfair dismissal and fire and rehire

• Unfair dismissal: qualifying period reduced to 6 months; compensatory awards uncapped.
• Fire & rehire protections: new restrictions on the practice. 

2027 - Later phased changes

A suite of measures continues to be introduced during 2027 (timing subject to regulation and consultation): 

• Mandatory gender equality and menopause action plans.
• Enhanced dismissal protections for pregnant workers and new parents.
• Extended blacklisting protections.
• Industrial relations framework reforms.
• Regulation of umbrella companies.
• Collective redundancy consultation threshold changes.
• Flexible working enhancements.
• Bereavement leave (including pregnancy loss).
• Measures targeting exploitative zero-hours contracts.
• Electronic and workplace balloting for recognition/derecognition ballots.
• Establishing the Negotiating Body for social care FPA and negotiations to take place 

Key employment rights changes

The bill is set to benefit over 10 million workers – including many on low incomes. The plan to make work pay covers:

Zero hours contracts:

Currently, employers can keep workers on exploitative zero hours contracts. The Bill will give workers the right to a contract that reflects their regular hours of work, eliminating the worst zero hours practices.

Fire and rehire:

The Bill ends the practice of "fire and rehire" – where workers are dismissed and then re-employed on worse terms and conditions.

Sick pay:

The Bill strengthens sick pay provisions and ensure that every worker has access to sick pay from the first day of illness. At present, statutory sick pay is not paid until the fourth day of absence and is not available to workers earning below a certain threshold.

Protection from unfair dismissal:

The Bill provides workers with protection from unfair dismissal after six months of employment. Currently, workers can be dismissed without reason during their first two years of employment.

Parental leave:

The Bill grants workers the right to parental leave from their first day at work. In addition, there will be a full review of the parental leave system in the future.

Bereavement leave:

There is currently no statutory right to bereavement leave following a death. The Bill introduces a right to bereavement leave, including for pregnancy loss before 24 weeks, such as miscarriage.

Flexible work:

The Bill makes flexible working the default. While employees currently have the right to request flexible working from their first day, employers often deny these requests without valid reasons. The Bill ensures that any refusal must be reasonable, and employers will be required to provide a written explanation.

Union access:

The Bill gives trade unions the right to access workplaces to meet, support, recruit, and organise workers. At present, employers often block unions from entering the workplace to engage with staff.

Protection from harassment:

The Bill increases employers’ responsibilities to protect workers from harassment by third parties (e.g. patients, customers, or members of the public encountered through work).

Gender pay gaps:

The Bill requires large employers (those with over 250 employees) to develop action plans to address gender pay gaps. Separate legislation is planned to require reporting on ethnicity and disability pay gaps.

Protections for pregnant workers:

The Bill will strengthen protections for pregnant workers, ensuring they are protected from redundancy from the moment they inform their employer of their pregnancy until six months after returning to work. Currently, these protections only last until the end of maternity leave.

Some of these new rights come into affect immediately, whereas others will be phased in gradually. You can all of the details in the Government’s implementation timetable. 

The TUC will be announcing training and guidance on the new rights as they come into effect. Sign up for updates from TUC Education here to ensure you hear about these courses first.