Anna Cope, Aisleen Pugh and Val Dougan list the key reforms coming into force this year under the Employment Rights Act

With a number of significant amendments to the law due to take effect in 2026, businesses need to be aware of the government’s implementation roadmap and factsheet, which provide guidance about the timeframe for implementation of the changes introduced by the Employment Rights Act. Many changes are, however, still the subject of consultations.

Key reforms expected this year

February

• Making it automatically unfair to dismiss an employee for taking part in industrial action.
• Simplification of the balloting procedure and shorter notice periods for industrial action.

April

• Doubling of the maximum protective award for failure to consult on collective redundancies from 90 to 180 days’ pay.
• Paternity leave and unpaid parental leave to become ‘day one’ rights.
• Sexual harassment to become a category of protected disclosure under the whistleblowing regime.
• Removal of the lower earnings limit and three-day waiting period for statutory sick pay.
• Simplification of the trade union recognition process, and introduction of electronic and workplace balloting.

October

• Making it automatically unfair to dismiss an employee for refusing to accept certain variations to their contract of employment.
• Strengthening the duty to prevent sexual harassment at work so that employers must take all reasonable steps to prevent it.
• Reintroducing employer liability for third-party...

Read Full Story: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijgFBVV95cUxPVmFvcjdFeWsxaTV6OW9aOWN1...