Employment Rights Act – What is Changing First?
Posted 27/02/2026
A new website has been launched by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) offering practical guidance and support on the changes that the Employment Rights Act will introduce and what they can do to get ready.
The website provides details of upcoming changes, including several that come into force from April 2026.
These include:
- Statutory Sick Pay – No earnings threshold and no three-day waiting period mean more employees will now qualify.
- Day-one family leave – Paternity Leave and Unpaid Parental Leave a right from the first day in a job.
- Bereaved Partner’s Paternity Leave – A new right for time off following the death of a child’s mother or primary adopter.
- Collective redundancy protections – The protective award for non-compliance is being increased.
- Stronger protections for workers who report sexual harassment.
- A new body called the Fair Work Agency will work to uphold workers’ rights and support businesses with compliance.
The website includes details on how to prepare for changes and a timeline of when further changes will be introduced. https://www.business.gov.uk/campaign/employment-changes/
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