Next year will see the government hone measures contained in the Employment Rights Act as it seeks to balance workers’ and unions’ new rights with business priorities. It must avoid a meltdown in the employment tribunal system and any risk of mass redundances ahead of unlimited unfair dismissal compensation and six-month qualifying periods being introduced from 1 January 2027. Here, employment lawyers and specialists tell Personnel Today about their own concerns about the new Act.
Diane Gilhooley, global head of employment, labour and pensions at Eversheds Sutherland
“The Act marks a pivotal shift in UK industrial relations with reforms that will reshape the employer-union dynamic. From new rights to workplace access for unions, a simplified statutory recognition process and deregulation of industrial action, employers should anticipate the potential for a more assertive union landscape and increased scrutiny of workplace practices.
“While many of the Act’s reforms do not take effect until 2026 and 2027, employers will need to act now to prepare and prioritise actions based on the government’s implementation timetable but also individual business need. For example, employers in hospitality, retail or other public-facing services will need to act early on third-party harassment reforms due in October 2026. Similarly, while new rights for zero and low hours workers are not scheduled to take effect until 2027, businesses that rely heavily on these...
Fairfield Township (Essex) By: Richard L. Smith A Delaware-based company with operations in Fairfield, New Jersey, has agreed to pay nearly $2.9 million to settle allegations that it improperly o...