A recent YouGov survey, commissioned by Acas, asked employers which changes in the Employment Rights Act will be the hardest to adopt for their organisation.
Nearly 1 in 3 employers (30%) say that paying statutory sick pay from the first day of illness would be the most difficult change to adopt from the Employment Rights Act 2025.
More than one quarter (27%) said it would be the right to take paternity leave from the first day of employment.
“The reforms in the Employment Rights Act are the biggest shake-up to employment law in a generation, and it is vital that employers get up to speed quickly.
“The new day one rights on sick pay and paternity are already in effect and new protections against unfair dismissals are set to come in next year.
“Acas has updated its advice on probations to reflect the new changes on unfair dismissals, which is a significant change in the law. Businesses that get on top of all the changes early can prevent costly disputes from happening.”
From 1st January 2027, protection from unfair dismissal will become a right after 6 months of being in a job. Currently, someone must have worked for their employer for 2 years before claiming unfair dismissal. The limit on the amount of compensation for unfair dismissal will also be removed.
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