The government has set out firm dates for the introduction of sweeping changes to employment rights with a raft of day one rights, but longer for unfair dismissal overhaul

Statutory sick pay, day one paternity leave and unpaid parental leave, and simplifying the trade union recognition process, will come into effect in April 2026 under the first stage of the Employment Rights Bill.

Employment tribunal time limits will take effect in October 2026 as will banning unscrupulous fire and rehire practices, and strengthening trade unions’ right of access.

 

However, there will be longer for employers to prepare for the major changes to unfair dismissed and zero hour contracts, which will not come into force until 2027. Likewise a requirement for employers to meet gender pay gap action plans will come later in the cycle.

 

Angela Rayner, deputy PM, said: ‘Taken together, these measures will deliver tangible benefits to working people across the country, and our timeline demonstrates our determination to go further and faster to raise living standards and put more money in people’s pockets.

 

‘We are grateful to the businesses, trade unions, civil society groups and Parliamentarians who have got us this far and worked to make our reforms as strong and effective as possible.

‘We always said that this Bill must work in practice, not just on paper. This is why we are consulting on key aspects of our Plan to Make Work Pay and taking a staggered approach to implementing several of the most significant reforms.’

The huge scale of the changes is a concern for businesses, particularly as they are facing higher employment costs as they get to grips with the April rise in employer national insurance contributions (NICs).

 

Ben Willmott, head of public policy at the CIPD, said: ‘Employers only have nine months to prepare for changes to the statutory sick pay regime, including removing the lower earnings limit and ending the three-day waiting period. Businesses are already struggling with rising employment costs following increases to the National Living Wage and employer National Insurance contributions this year, and we had hoped they would be given more time to prepare for this significant change.’

 

The release of the roadmap gives businesses some leeway as they now know the timetable and will have to plan for these fundamental changes to employment rights, with further consultation and guidance promised by the government. There are no carve-outs for small and micro businesses either.

 

Kate Palmer, employment services director at Peninsula, said: ‘Although nine months sounds like a long time, there is a lot for employers to do during this time to make sure their absence management procedures are robust enough to help mitigate the impact of the requirement to pay statutory sick pay from the first day of absence and to, for the first time, include the lowest earners in their sick pay system.

‘The roadmap covers the next two years of employment law change. Whilst long term clarity is useful, any employer taking stock of what’s to come will certainly realise there is a lot to do.’

Following further consultation on the final details, the government said it will ‘develop final policy positions to deliver our measures. In some instances, this will be regulations, in others it will be guidance or Codes of Practice by the government or others such as Acas’.

 

Neil Carberry, chief executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), said: ‘This clear timeline on the Employment Rights Bill gives room for full and frank consultation on how the new rules will be structured. It also gives businesses important time to plan.

‘Now we have the roadmap, ongoing and meaningful engagement will be critical to ensuring new regulations allow the flexibility workers and companies value to remain.

‘A clear process which addresses reasonable business concerns about the new rules is essential.’

 

Key dates for new measures

 

April 2026

  • Day 1 paternity leave and unpaid parental leave;
  • Statutory sick pay – remove the lower earnings limit and waiting period;
  • Whistleblowing protections;
  • Collective redundancy protective award – doubling the maximum period of the protective award; and
  • Fair Work Agency body established to oversee compliance.

 

October 2026

  • Fire and rehire;
  • Employment tribunal time limits;
  • Various measures related to trade unions, including duty to inform workers of their right to join a union, new rights for union reps, strengthen trade unions’ right of access and extending protections against detriments for taking industrial action.

 

2027 [dates to be confirmed]

  • Day 1 right – protection from unfair dismissal;
  • Flexible working;
  • Bereavement leave;
  • Regulation of umbrella companies;
  • Rights for pregnant workers;
  • Gender pay gap and menopause action plans (introduced on a voluntary basis in April 2026);
  • End exploitative use of zero hours contracts (ZHC) and applying ZHC measures to agency workers;
  • Collective redundancy – collective consultation threshold.

 

Implementing Employment Rights Bill roadmap UK Government guidance [Issued 1 Jul 2025]

To find out more about how this will affect your company and employees please contact your KKVMS advisor.