Today (6th April), marks the activation of the first major wave of changes under the Employment Rights Act 2025. Described as the most significant overhaul of UK employment law in a generation, the new rules introduce sweeping day-one rights and stricter compliance measures that immediately impact how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operate.

While further reforms will continue to roll out into late 2026 and 2027, today is a critical milestone for businesses and their employees. If you have not yet updated your payroll, absence management protocols, and employment contracts, the time to act is right now.

Here is a breakdown of some of the things that change for your business as of today, and what you need to do to remain compliant.

The key changes in force from today

As your staff log on or clock in today, they are operating under a new set of statutory rights. The most pressing updates include:

• Statutory sick pay (SSP) overhaul: The three-day waiting period and the lower earnings limit are officially gone. All workers, regardless of their earnings or part-time status, are now entitled to SSP from their very first day of sickness absence (instead of the fourth day). Furthermore, the weekly flat rate has increased and is 80% of the employee’s average weekly earnings or 123.25, whichever is lower.
• Expanded day-one family rights: The previous qualifying periods for paternity leave (formerly 26 weeks) and unpaid parental leave (formerly one year) have been...

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