Government updates Employment Rights Act 2025 implementation timetable

Background

The Government has published an updated Employment Rights Act 2025 implementation timetable. The reforms are being introduced in phases to give employers, businesses and workers time to prepare for changes to employment rights.

The updated timetable revises several previously announced implementation dates and provides greater clarity on when measures previously listed only as taking effect during 2027 are expected to commence. The Government confirms that future dates remain subject to parliamentary processes and may change as consultation and policy development continue.

Key dates for employers

The reduction of the unfair dismissal qualifying period to six months, together with the removal of the cap on compensatory awards, remain scheduled for 1 January 2027. The duty to inform workers of their right to join a trade union will also commence on that date, having previously been expected in October 2026. The fire and rehire protections have been pushed back to March 2027.

In March, gender equality and menopause action plans will become mandatory for public authorities. The corresponding requirements for private and voluntary sector employers remain scheduled for April 2027, alongside new bereavement leave provisions, including pregnancy loss, extended blacklisting protections and changes to the collective redundancy consultation threshold.

Electronic and workplace balloting for statutory trade union recognition and derecognition ballots is now scheduled for August 2027, having previously been planned for August 2026.

September 2027 is the expected commencement date for measures restricting the misuse of non-disclosure agreements in workplace harassment and discrimination cases. Enhanced dismissal protections for pregnant women and new mothers, and changes to flexible working, are scheduled for October 2027. Regulation of umbrella companies is expected in December 2027.

Notably, the timetable also identifies reforms for which implementation dates remain outstanding. These include rights to guaranteed hours, reasonable notice of shifts, and payment for shifts cancelled or changed at short notice. The update confirms that dates will be updated following consideration of the recent consultation responses. Two reforms are also now absent from the timeline and their status is unknown: public sector outsourcing and the turnout threshold for industrial action ballots.

Learning points for employers

Employers should update their implementation plans to reflect the new dates, while keeping them under review. The January unfair dismissal changes remain on track, so managers should continue reviewing probationary periods and how performance concerns are handled for new starters. Employers should also plan for the April changes affecting leave, blacklisting and collective redundancy, and for the later reforms to pregnancy and new-mother protections and flexible working. We will continue to report on changes and keep track of the updated timeline via our tracker.

For more information or advice, please get in touch with Eleanor Searle in our Employment team.