The Government has today published “Implementing the Employment Rights Bill: our roadmap for delivering change”, giving us a greater degree of clarity on when the various wide-ranging changes to the employment law landscape set out in the Employment Rights Bill are likely to come into effect. The ambitious timescale previously proposed seems to be slipping.
One of the more surprising elements is that changes to zero-hour contracts and the introduction of ‘day one’ unfair dismissal rights now appear unlikely to take effect until sometime in 2027.
Consultations
Consultations on many of the regulations begin this summer and continue into early 2026, giving employers time to prepare.
Summer/Autumn 2025: consultation on day-1 unfair dismissal, SSSNB, social care, plus trade union, fire-and-rehire, umbrella reforms, bereavement, pregnancy and zero-hours.
Winter/Early 2026: further consultations covering tipping law, flexible working, collective redundancy and blacklisting.
Key Implementation Dates
Immediate (awaiting Royal Assent):
- Repeal of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 and major parts of the Trade Union Act 2016
- New protections preventing dismissal for participating in industrial action
April 2026:
- Doubling the protective award for collective redundancies
- ‘Day 1’ paternity and unpaid parental leave
- Enhanced whistleblower protections
- Establishment of a Fair Work Agency
- Statutory Sick Pay improvements (removal of lower‑earnings limit and waiting period)
- Simplified trade union recognition and digital/workplace balloting systems
October 2026:
- Ban on fire-and-rehire
- Launch of a Fair Pay Agreement Negotiating Body for adult social care
- Stronger tipping laws
- Employer duty to take ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment
- Expanded trade union rights
- Stricter employment tribunal limits and protections for those taking industrial action
2027:
- Mandatory gender pay gap and menopause action plans (voluntary from April 2026)
- New rights for pregnant workers
- Flexible working
- Bereavement leave
- Protections against zero‑hour contract abuse
- Umbrella company regulation
- ‘Day 1’ unfair dismissal rights
What does this mean for employers?
HR teams will need to prepare; from payroll systems (for SSP, parental leave) to handbook updates (harassment duty, fire-and-rehire ban) and consultation protocols. Strategic planning and staff training are essential to meet these milestones, but at least now we have a clear and more realistic timescale. Keeping on top of your policies is going to be key as we progress through the timeline.
Read the implementation document in full here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/686258bdb466cce1bb1219dc/implementing-the-employment-rights-bill-roadmap.pdf