Employment Rights Act: 18 Feb 2026 Reforms Now Live
Industrial Action Ballot Changes The framework governing industrial action ballots has been revised to remove several procedural obstacles that previously created scope for technical challenge. Earlier regimes often allowed employers to contest strike action on narrow defects in ballot process or notice compliance. The current position reduces the likelihood of industrial action being […]
Salary Sacrifice Pensions Contributions: Changes to Impact Employers
Salary Sacrifice Pensions Contributions Changes 2029 From April 2029, only the first £2,000 of salary sacrifice pension contributions will remain exempt from National Insurance. HMRC estimates that 7.7 million employees use salary sacrifice, with around 3.3 million contributing more than £2,000 per year. The practical impact will depend on how employers adjust pay […]
Flexible Working Consultation Opens Under ERA 2025
Flexible working position under the Employment Rights Act 2025 The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces a revised framework for handling flexible working requests. The legislation moves the regime away from a purely request-based model and towards a more structured decision-making process. Provision is made for employers to consult with employees before refusing a […]
Fire and Rehire Consultation Launched
Fire and rehire changes under the Employment Rights Act 2025 Fire and rehire continues to exist as a last-resort mechanism, but the Government has been clear for some time that its use should be constrained, with this consultation shaping how those constraints will operate in practice. When fully implemented, the Employment Rights Act […]
Employment Rights Act Timeline: Key Dates 2026–27
Date What changes Impact on employers 18 February 2026 Trade union law reforms take effect Simpler industrial action rules and stronger protections for industrial action activity 6 April 2026 SSP expansion and higher redundancy awards More employees qualify for SSP and redundancy breaches carry higher financial exposure 7 April 2026 Fair Work Agency established […]
Unfair Dismissal Compensation Cap Removed from January 2027
Removal of the unfair dismissal compensation cap From 1 January 2027, tribunals will no longer be subject to a statutory ceiling when awarding compensatory unfair dismissal awards. The current limit, which caps compensation at the lower of one year’s gross pay or the statutory maximum, will no longer apply or be in force. […]
SSP 2026: Increase from 6 April
How much is SSP 2026 a week? From 6 April 2026, Statutory Sick Pay rate (SSP) increases to £123.25 per week. The £123.25 figure is the maximum weekly amount payable. SSP is calculated as the lower of 80% of the employee’s Average Weekly Earnings or the flat statutory rate. Average Weekly Earnings are […]
Statutory & Minimum Wage Rates April 2026
April 2026 statutory and wage rates at a glance Payment or rate Current rate Rate from April 2026 Effective date Statutory Sick Pay £118.75 per week £123.25 per week 6 April 2026 Statutory maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental, parental bereavement, neonatal care pay and maternity allowance £187.18 per week £194.32 per week […]
Paternity Leave 2026 Reforms: HR Risks
What Changes Under the 2026 Regulations and When They Apply Under the Employment Rights Act 2025 (Parental and Paternity Leave) (Removal of Qualifying Periods etc.) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2026, qualifying service requirements that previously applied to statutory paternity leave and unpaid parental leave are being removed. The changes take effect in stages. From […]
Zero-Hour Contract Changes 2026
What changed to zero-hours working rules in January 2026 Two linked changes came into force on 6 January 2026 under the Employment Rights Act 2025 and the first commencement regulations. First, the Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Act 2023 was repealed. That removes a statutory framework that many employers had only recently factored […]