6th April 2026
Bereaved Partner’s Paternity Leave (from the Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act 2024)
- New unpaid leave entitlement for affected employees.
- Provides up to 52 weeks of leave for partners when the mother/main adopter dies in the first year of birth/placement to allow care for the child.
Paternity and parental leave
- The service requirement for Paternity and Parental Leave (not pay) will be removed, becoming a day one right. The notice requirements (as mentioned above), however, have not changed and must still be given, unless it is not reasonably practicable to do so.
- Temporary measures allow newly eligible employees to provide 28 days’ notice instead of the usual 15 weeks for babies due from w/c 5th April to 25th July 2026.
Statutory sick pay
- To be paid to all workers from the first day of absence (no longer fourth), as well as removing the Lower Earnings Limit, at a rate of 80% of weekly earnings or the flat rate (£), whichever is lower.
- There will also be a transitional period to protect pay for those on sick leave before the 6th April, should the implementation of the changes have otherwise reduced their pay. This period would end when they return to work, their entitlement ends or in a handful of other cases.
Redundancy
- The maximum protective award a tribunal can make when a business has failed to follow their obligations on collective redundancy will be increased from 90 to 180 days’ pay.
Whistleblowing protections
- Sexual harassment will become a ‘qualifying disclosure’, meaning protection from detriment and unfair dismissal for whistleblowers making a sexual harassment disclosure.
Trade unions
- Simplifying how a trade union can gain recognition in a workplace.
Gender pay gap and menopause action plans
- Employers can voluntarily publish these plans from April. They will become mandatory for some employers in 2027.
7th April 2026
Fair Work Agency
- The Fair Work Agency will be established on 7th April but will be introduced in phases with timescales and further information to follow in due course.
A reminder to have your say – seven open consultations
The Government have opened several new consultations relating to the Employment Rights Act 2025 and their plan to “Make Work Pay”. They are inviting views from employers, workers, trade unions and members of the public who are likely to be affected by the new framework. If you would like to get involved in any of the topics below, you can follow the links and submit your views by the closing dates shown.
- Recognition code of practice and e-balloting unfair practices - closes 1st April 2026, link here.
- Fire and rehire: changes to expenses, benefits, and shift patterns - closes: 1st April 2026, link here.
- Strengthening the law on tipping - closes: 1st April 2026, link here.
- Protection from detriments for taking industrial action - closes: 23rd April 2026, link here.
- Improving access to flexible working - closes: 30th April 2026, link here.
- Modernising the Agency Work Regulatory Framework - closes: 1st May 2026, link here.
- Threshold for triggering collective redundancy - closes: 21st May 2026, link here.
As always, we’ll continue to monitor developments closely and share further updates as the new employment framework takes shape.
