The Employment Rights Act 2025 (ERA) passed into law on 18 December 2025, providing a wide range of reforms that will reshape the landscape of UK employment law over the coming years. In February 2026, the UK government published an updated timeline setting out the key dates for the changes introduced by the ERA, which are scheduled to take effect in stages from 2026 through 2027. In this Employment Flash, we recap the most significant changes and consider other key developments on the horizon.

• February 2026 – Reforms to Industrial Action and Trade Union Law
• April 2026 – Updates to Family Leave and Statutory Sick Pay and Establishment of the Fair Work Agency
• October 2026 – Extended Windows for Tribunal Claims and Increased Management of Harassment Risks
• 2027 - Dismissal Rights That Increase Employers’ Potential Liability
• Horizon Scanning – Ethnicity and Disability Pay Gap Reporting, NDAs and Proposed Noncompete Reforms

February 2026 – Reforms to Industrial Action and Trade Union Law

Significant reforms to industrial action and trade union law came into effect in February 2026. These reforms are designed to simplify procedures for unions, strengthen employee protections and repeal restrictions introduced by the previous government under the Trade Union Act 2016.

The following union-related changes came into force on 18 February 2026:

• Removal of the 50% turnout threshold for strike action. A simple majority of favourable votes is now sufficient for lawful industrial...

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