This hub brings together the dates, decisions and practical steps employers need to keep on their radar. You will also find Tees articles, webinars and practical guidance linked to each area of reform.
Do your probation and performance processes leave enough time to act?
From 1 January 2027, the qualifying period for ordinary unfair dismissal is scheduled to reduce to six months. Employers should work back from that point now, taking account of review dates, support, documentation and notice periods.
Giving you the full picture of upcoming employment law changes: what's confirmed, what's coming, and what to do about it.
Showing 36 of 36 tracked reforms
Who should pay attention
Employers in services previously covered by minimum service level rules, particularly transport, health, education, fire and rescue, and border security.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
Unionised employers and organisations facing potential industrial action.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
Employers dealing with lawful industrial action or employee participation in it.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
Recognised trade unions and employers' associations.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
Employers proposing 20 or more redundancies at one establishment within 90 days.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
All employers, particularly those with family-leave policies, payroll processes and manager guidance.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
All employers, particularly those handling harassment complaints, speak-up reports or regulated disclosures.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
All employers, especially those with low-paid, part-time, casual or variable-hours staff.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
Large employers and organisations reviewing gender equality, retention and menopause support.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
Employers facing a statutory recognition request or with an emerging union presence.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
All employers, particularly labour-intensive businesses, supply chains and organisations using agency or outsourced labour.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
Unionised employers and organisations in sectors with active industrial relations.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
All employers, particularly those managing dismissals, grievances, discrimination complaints or settlement discussions.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
Adult social care providers, commissioners and organisations supplying labour to the sector in England.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
Public-sector contractors, outsourcing providers and organisations bidding for public contracts.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
All employers.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
Unionised employers, employers facing recognition activity and organisations with union representatives.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
Employers affected by lawful industrial action.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
All employers, particularly customer-facing, hospitality, care, education, transport and events businesses.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
Employers whose staff interact with customers, clients, patients, pupils, contractors or members of the public.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
Employers with staff in Scotland or contracts governed by Scottish jurisdiction.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
Ferry operators, shipping businesses and employers engaging seafarers in scope of the regulations.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
Hospitality, leisure and other employers where tips, gratuities or service charges are paid.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
All employers, particularly those using six-month or longer probation periods.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
Employers considering dismissal and re-engagement to change pay, hours, benefits or working arrangements.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
Employers within the statutory reporting scope once final regulations confirm coverage.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
All employers, particularly those managing redundancy, capability or conduct during pregnancy or following maternity leave.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
Construction, infrastructure, unionised sectors and organisations using recruitment or vetting databases.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
Unionised employers and organisations likely to face recognition or collective bargaining activity.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
Recruitment businesses, end clients, labour supply chains and organisations engaging workers through umbrella companies.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
Employers planning multi-site or large-scale redundancies.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
All employers, especially businesses relying on fixed-location, fixed-hours or rota-based work.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
All employers.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
Employers using zero-hours, low-hours, casual, agency or variable-hours arrangements.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
Employers involved in statutory union recognition or derecognition.
What employers should do
Who should pay attention
All employers using settlement agreements, confidentiality clauses or employment contracts.
What employers should do
At every stage of your businesses’ lifetime, Tees employment law specialists can help.
Make the next performance conversation count
The difficult part is rarely spotting poor performance. It is knowing what to say, what to record and when waiting any longer becomes the greater risk. Join the Tees Employment Law team for a practical session for managers, business owners and HR professionals on intervening earlier and handling the conversation around performance well.
For whatever your business needs, Tees can help.
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The Act received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025. Its provisions are being introduced in phases, with further regulations and guidance supporting implementation.
No. The better approach is to identify what is already in force, what has a confirmed implementation date and what still depends on regulations or guidance. The tracker separates immediate action from sensible monitoring.
Yes. A well-managed probation period can still help an employer assess capability, conduct and suitability. It will not, however, postpone statutory qualifying service, so concerns and review decisions must be addressed early.
Employment-law reform rarely belongs to HR alone. Depending on the change, preparation may involve payroll, operations, finance, line managers and employee representatives. One person should coordinate the programme and maintain a clear action log.
We review the tracker regularly and after material commencement announcements, regulations or government guidance. The latest legal review date appears at the top of the page.
