Employment Rights Act – Change is on the way!
The largest number of changes in years is now coming into force via the Employment Rights Act 2025.
Employers will now need to be aware of the following;
From April 2026
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): Becomes a day-one right, paid from the first day of absence.
Parental & Paternity Leave: Both become day-one rights, removing the need for a qualifying service period.
Fair Work Agency: A new agency will be established to consolidate and enforce employment rights.
From October 2026
“Fire and Rehire”: Practices will be heavily restricted and could lead to automatic unfair dismissal.
Tribunal Claims: The time limit for bringing a claim will be extended from three to six months.
Third-Party Harassment: Employers will be liable for harassment of staff by third parties (e.g., customers).
Trade Union Rights: Employers must inform employees of their right to join a union.
From 2027
Unfair Dismissal: The qualifying period will be reduced from two years to just six months (from 1 Jan 2027).
Flexible Working: This will become the default, requiring employers to have strong reasons to refuse a request.
Zero-Hours Contracts: Workers on these contracts will have a right to a more stable contract based on their regular hours.
Bereavement Leave: A new day-one right to at least one week of leave will be introduced.
With the above changes come into force employers will need to ensure that they are aware of the changes and most importantly compliant. Compliance will have a particular emphasis on keeping employment documentation up to date including employment contracts and employee handbooks etc.
If you require any help or advice please contact Atom HR for a discussion.