An “Implementing the Employment Rights Bill Roadmap” has now been published by the Government.
This Roadmap sets out a timeline of the upcoming changes and shows how the Government is preparing for the implementation of the Employment Rights Bill. The changes are being phased in gradually over a period of time to allow for further consultation to take place on issues such as statutory probationary periods (that will accompany the day one right to claim unfair dismissal that is being introduced, abolishing the two years’ service required currently applicable) and how these will work and the planned changes to statutory sick pay.
Some of the changes are therefore not coming in until 2027 – this includes day one rights for workers against unfair dismissal and a ban on “exploitative zero hours contracts”.
The Government has said it will produce clear and comprehensive guidance to help businesses understand and adapt to the changes and the gradual introduction will also give businesses time to update policies and procedures along the way.
Key dates:
After the bill is passed:
- Immediate repeal of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 and the majority of the Trade Union Act 2016
- Protections against dismissal for taking industrial action
April 2026:
- Collective redundancy protective award – doubling the maximum period of the protective award
- ‘Day one’ paternity leave and unpaid parental leave
- Enhanced Public Interest Disclosure (“Whistleblowing”) protections
- Fair work agency established
- Statutory sick pay – removing the lower earnings limit and waiting period
October 2026:
- Restricting fire and rehire practices
- Regulations to establish the Fair Pay Agreement Adult Social Care Negotiating Body in England
- Tightening tipping law to ensure fairer tip allocation
- Requiring employers to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of their employees, enhancing the current protections and obligations in place
- Introducing an obligation on employers not to permit the harassment of their employees by third parties
- New rights and protections for trade union representatives, extending protections against detriments for taking industrial action and strengthening trade unions’ right of access.
2027:
- Gender pay gap and menopause action plans promoting gender equality and supporting women’s health at work
- Enhanced dismissal protections for pregnant women and new mothersreturning from maternity leave
- Further harassment protections – specifying reasonable steps which will help determine whether an employer has taken all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment
- Bereavement leave
- Ending the “exploitative use of zero hours contracts”
- ‘Day one ’ right for protection from unfair dismissal
- Improving access to flexible working
If you need help to navigate these changes, please get in touch with our Employment Law team.
