The Employment Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025 and is widely described as the biggest overhaul of UK employment law in a generation, touching more than two dozen areas of workplace law. Rather than arriving in one go, its reforms are being phased in between late 2025 and 2027 under the Government's published implementation roadmap. This page tracks every key date: what has already taken effect, what is imminent, and what is still to come.
Key facts at a glance
- The Act became law on 18 December 2025 and is being implemented in stages through to 2027.
- Changes already in force include day-one statutory sick pay, day-one paternity and unpaid parental leave, and stronger whistleblowing protection for sexual harassment disclosures.
- From 1 October 2026, employment tribunal time limits double from three months to six months.
- From 30 October 2026, employers must take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment, with new third-party harassment protections.
- From 1 January 2027, the qualifying period for unfair dismissal falls from two years to six months.
- Restrictions on NDAs covering harassment and discrimination, guaranteed hours for zero-hours workers, and the new “fire and rehire” protections are expected during 2027.
The implementation timeline
Dates below reflect the Government's most recent published roadmap. Several measures remain subject to consultation and secondary legislation, so later dates in particular may still move, we update this page as the position changes.
18 December 2025 In force
Royal Assent and immediate repeals
The Act became law. The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 was repealed immediately, alongside the first wave of changes unwinding much of the Trade Union Act 2016.
18 February 2026 In force
Industrial action protections
Dismissing an employee for taking part in protected industrial action became automatically unfair, and ballot thresholds for important public services were removed.
April 2026 In force
Sick pay, family leave, whistleblowing and the Fair Work Agency
From 6 April 2026, statutory sick pay became payable from the first day of absence and the lower earnings limit was removed, extending SSP to the lowest-paid workers. Paternity leave and unpaid parental leave became day-one rights. Disclosures about sexual harassment were expressly brought within whistleblowing protection as qualifying disclosures. The new Fair Work Agency, a single state enforcement body for employment rights, was established on 7 April 2026. Gender pay gap and menopause action plans were also introduced on a voluntary basis ahead of becoming mandatory.
August 2026 Upcoming
Electronic balloting
Electronic and workplace balloting for statutory trade union ballots is due to be introduced, having been pushed back from the original April 2026 date.
1 October 2026 Upcoming
Tribunal time limits double
The deadline for bringing most employment tribunal claims extends from three months to six months. This single change reshapes the risk calculus around every dismissal and settlement negotiation, we examine it in detail in our guide to the new six-month time limit.
30 October 2026 Upcoming
Harassment prevention duties and union access
Employers become subject to a duty to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of their staff, together with new protection against harassment by third parties such as customers and clients. Strengthened trade union access and recognition rights take effect the same day. See our practical guide to the new harassment duty.
1 January 2027 Upcoming
Unfair dismissal after six months
The qualifying period for ordinary unfair dismissal protection falls from two years to six months for dismissals taking effect on or after 1 January 2027. Parliament stepped back from the original day-one proposal, but this remains a seismic shift, read our full analysis of the 2027 unfair dismissal changes.
During 2027 Expected
NDAs, zero-hours contracts, fire and rehire, bereavement leave
Subject to ongoing consultations: restrictions rendering void any NDA that prevents workers speaking about workplace harassment or discrimination (see our NDA reforms explainer); the right to guaranteed hours for zero-hours workers; new protections making dismissal for refusing a “restricted variation” of contract automatically unfair; and statutory bereavement leave.
What the phased rollout means in practice
For employees
Each phase strengthens your position. If you are negotiating an exit in late 2026 or 2027, the longer tribunal deadline, the harassment prevention duty and, from January 2027, unfair dismissal rights after just six months' service all affect what a fair settlement looks like. An offer that would have been reasonable under the old law may undervalue your claims under the new one, which is why independent advice on any settlement agreement matters more than ever.
For employers
The compliance burden arrives in waves, and each wave changes litigation risk. Contracts, policies, disciplinary procedures and template settlement agreements drafted before 2026 will almost certainly need revising. Employers who plan exits and restructures around the commencement dates, rather than discovering them afterwards, will save significant cost and risk.
In our experience, transitional periods like this are when the gap between a well-advised and a poorly-advised settlement is at its widest. Both sides are negotiating against a moving legal backdrop, and the party that understands the incoming rules holds the advantage.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Employment Rights Act 2025 already in force?
Partly. The Act became law on 18 December 2025, but its measures are being brought into force in stages. Sick pay, family leave and whistleblowing reforms took effect in April 2026, tribunal time limit and harassment changes arrive in October 2026, and unfair dismissal reform applies to dismissals taking effect on or after 1 January 2027. Some measures, including the NDA restrictions, are expected during 2027.
Did unfair dismissal become a day-one right?
No. The Government originally proposed day-one protection, but the legislation was amended so that the qualifying period reduces from two years to six months instead, applying to dismissals taking effect on or after 1 January 2027.
Do the changes apply across the whole UK?
The Act principally applies in England, Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland has a separate employment law framework and is pursuing its own package of reforms.
Will settlement agreements still be valid under the new law?
Yes. Settlement agreements remain the standard way to resolve employment disputes, and independent legal advice remains a statutory requirement for a valid agreement. What is changing is what certain clauses - particularly confidentiality clauses covering harassment or discrimination - can lawfully cover.
Sources and further reading
About this article. This guide is provided by Frederick George for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Employment law changes frequently and the position described here reflects the law and published government implementation plans as at the date shown above. Frederick George is a legal referral service, not a law firm; for advice on your specific circumstances we will connect you with an SRA-regulated solicitor. Please contact us before relying on any information on this page.
