Last updated: 1 November 2026. This timeline is based on the Employment Rights Act 2025 on legislation.gov.uk, the government’s “Plan to Make Work Pay and Employment Rights Act: timeline update” (updated 22 October 2026), Acas guidance, GOV.UK and business.gov.uk announcements on the Fair Work Agency, and legal commentary on the Act’s final stages. It covers Great Britain unless stated. Future dates are the government’s targets and can still move.

Short answer: The Employment Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025 and is being phased in until the end of 2027. Day-one paternity and unpaid parental leave, day-one statutory sick pay, the Fair Work Agency, six-month tribunal time limits and the stronger sexual harassment duty are already in force. Six-month unfair dismissal protection starts on 1 January 2027.

Key takeaways

• Royal Assent was on 18 December 2025. The first wave of changes, mostly trade union law, took effect then and on 18 February 2026; the big April 2026 wave brought day-one family leave rights and statutory sick pay from the first day of sickness.
• In force since autumn 2026: six-month time limits for employment tribunal claims (1 October 2026) and the duty to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment, including by third parties (30 October 2026).
• From 1 January 2027, employees need six months’ service, not two years, to claim unfair dismissal, and the cap on the compensatory award goes. This was a late compromise: the...

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