The Employment Rights Bill is due to bring some significant changes to UK employment law. The government have now released their Roadmap setting out when we can expect those changes to take effect.

The changes, and when they are due to be implemented, are set out below; most notably, the protection against the abuse of zero-hours contracts and unfair dismissal becoming a ‘day one’ right has been pushed to 2027.

Immediate (awaiting Royal Assent)	April 2026	October 2026	2027
Repeal of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 and major parts of the Trade Union Act 2016	Protective award for collective redundancies – doubling compensation to 180 days pay	Ending fire-and-rehire	Mandatory gender pay gap and menopause action plans (voluntary from April 2026)
New protections preventing dismissal for participating in industrial action	‘Day 1’ right to paternity and unpaid parental leave	Regulations to establish a fair pay agreement adult social care  negotiating body	Enhanced dismissal protections for  pregnant workers and new mothers
	Enhanced whistleblower protections	Stronger tipping laws	Right to Bereavement leave
	Fair Work Agency established	Employer duty to take ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment	End exploitative zero hour contracts
	Statutory sick pay (removal of lower earnings limit and waiting period)	Expanded trade union rights	Umbrella company regulation
	Simplified trade union recognition process and digital/workplace balloting systems	Obligation on employers not to permit the harassment of employees by third parties	‘Day 1’ right to protections from unfair dismissal. Consultations ongoing from now until early 2026.
			Improving access to flexible working