July 7, 2025
By Damian Phillips
On 1 July 2025, the UK Government shared its Implementation Roadmap for rolling out the Employment Rights Bill, and set out when different changes will take effect. Some of the most discussed changes to the law, such as stronger protections for workers on zero-hour contracts and unfair dismissal rights from day one, won’t happen until 2027.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what’s coming and when:
Coming soon (waiting official approval):
- Old strike laws will be scrapped
- Workers will be protected from being fired for taking part in strikes
April 2026
- Employers who make large groups of their employees redundant could face bigger penalties
- Parents will be entitled to paternity leave and unpaid leave from day one of their employment
- Better protection for people who report wrongdoing at work (whistleblowers)
- The new Fair Work Agency will be created and will oversee fair treatment at work
- Changes to Statutory Sick pay (the lower earnings limit and waiting period will be removed)
- It will be easier for workers to establish a trade union and to vote in union elections
October 2026
- There will be changes to “fire-and-rehire” rules
- Establishment of the Fair Pay Agreement Negotiating Body, to set fair pay standards for workers in adult social care
- Laws for tipping will be stronger to ensure they are passed on fairly to workers
- Employers will have a duty to take ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment at work
- Employers will have the duty to inform workers of their right to join a trade union
- More rights and protections for trade union reps
- Trade unions will have easier right of access to their members
- Extending Employment Tribunal time limits to make a claim
2027 (discussions are ongoing):
- Protection from unfair dismissal from day one in a new job
- Action plans for closing the gender pay gap and supporting menopause at work will become mandatory (voluntary from April 2026)
- Stronger protections for pregnant workers
- Bereavement leave changes, with the intention to include pregnancy loss at any stage
- Crackdown on abuse of zero-hour contracts
- Regulation of umbrella companies (used by many agency workers)
- Changes to flexible working requests
- Enabling regulations to specify steps that are considered reasonable to examine if an employer has acted sufficiently to prevent sexual harassment
If you’d like to be kept updated with all things Employment Rights Bill, our live updates page is here.
The Employment Rights Bill will affect every employer and employee in the UK. For more information on how these changes will impact you and your business, or for guidance on how best to prepare feel free to get in touch using our online contact form or by contacting Damian Phillips on 029 2082 9126 or dphillips@darwingray.com.
02920 829 100 
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