As the new financial year quietly arrives, another significant milestone is fast approaching: the introduction of the Employment Rights Bill, bringing with it some of the most meaningful changes to UK employment law in recent years.
While the full details are available on our website, we’ve highlighted the key changes planned for April 2026 to help you understand what’s coming—and to start preparing for the impact on your people, processes and policies.
🔍 Key changes employers need to know about from April 2026
- Increased Protective Awards for Collective Redundancies
The maximum protective award will double from 90 days to 180 days.
This change significantly increases the potential liability for employers who do not follow correct consultation processes during collective redundancies. Planning, communication and procedural accuracy will be more important than ever.
- ‘Day 1’ Paternity and Unpaid Parental Leave
Employees will gain access to paternity leave and unpaid parental leave from their first day of employment.
This may influence your onboarding processes and early communication with new starters.
- Enhanced Whistleblowing Protections
Sexual harassment will now be included as a qualifying disclosure, giving employees stronger protection when reporting concerns and reducing the risk of employer retaliation claims.
- Establishment of the Fair Work Agency
A new regulatory body will be created to enforce labour rights and promote workplace fairness.
This will likely increase scrutiny for employers—and clarity for workers.
- Changes to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
Two significant adjustments are planned:
- Removal of the three-day waiting period
- Abolition of the lower earnings limit
This means employees will qualify for SSP from day one of illness, and more workers will become eligible.
- Simplified Trade Union Recognition & Digital Balloting
Procedures for trade union recognition will become more streamlined, and new rules will support electronic and workplace balloting.
This modernisation aims to make union processes more accessible and efficient.
- Recruitment Agencies & Umbrella Companies
Recruitment agencies will become responsible for operating PAYE and National Insurance contributions for workers engaged via umbrella companies.
This is likely to reshape parts of the temporary labour market and compliance responsibilities.
Want to understand what this means for your business? Join Our Webinars
With so many changes arriving at once, it’s essential for employers to understand how these reforms will affect HR practices, payroll processes, workforce planning and legal compliance.
We’ll be running a series of webinars to walk you through the changes, explain what they mean in practice and help you prepare with confidence.
If you’d like to be kept informed about dates and times, give Steph a call on 01794 329470.
