The Employment Rights Bill Implementation Roadmap – what you need to know

Written by: rradar

Date: July 3, 2025

The government has published an Employment Rights Bill Implementation Roadmap to clarify when particular measures in the Bill will come into effect. It’s aimed at giving both employers and workers clarity and sufficient time to prepare themselves for what the law will require.

What’s happening when?

After the bill is passed:

Immediate repeal of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 and the majority of the Trade Union Act 2016.
Protections against dismissal for taking industrial action.

April 2026:

Collective redundancy protective award – the maximum period of the protective award will double.
‘Day one’ paternity leave and unpaid parental leave.
Whistleblowing protections.
Fair Work Agency established (see below).
Statutory sick pay – the lower earnings limit and waiting period will be removed.
A package of trade union measures to include simplification of the trade union. recognition process and electronic and workplace balloting.

October 2026:

Ending unscrupulous fire and rehire practices.
Regulations to establish the fair pay agreement Adult Social Care Negotiating Body in England.
Tightening tipping law – strengthening the law by making consultation with workers mandatory.
Requiring employers to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of their employees.
Introducing an obligation on employers not to permit the harassment of their employees by third parties.
A package of trade union measures including new rights and protections for trade union representatives, extending protections against detriments for taking industrial action and strengthening trade unions’ right of access.
Extension to Employment Tribunal time limits for lodging of claims from 3 months less a day to 6 months less a day.

2027:

Gender pay gap and menopause action plans (which were introduced on a voluntary basis in April 2026).
Enhanced dismissal protections for pregnant women and new mothers.
Further harassment protections, specifying reasonable steps which will help determine whether an employer has taken all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment.
Creating a modern framework for industrial relations.
Bereavement leave.
Ending the exploitative use of zero hours contracts.
‘Day 1’ right to protection from unfair dismissal.
Improving access to flexible working.

The Government says it will produce guidance to help businesses navigate the changes. This will be released well ahead of implementation deadlines to enable full familiarisation.

ACAS will play a crucial role in both the implementation of the new measures and providing support to employers and workers moving forward.

The Fair Work Agency

The government has also announced that the Fair Work Agency will launch from early 2026. This will combine existing enforcement functions and, as time goes on, assimilate a range of enforcement duties for other employment rights.

The Agency aims to resolve issues at the outset by supporting employers who want to comply with the law. However, it’s intended that it will also have strong investigative powers, enabling it to take action against businesses that flout the law. This aims to “level the playing field” for compliant businesses.

How can we help?

The roadmap should give businesses a much better idea of what’s happening and when, so preparations can be made in good time.

Those preparations will best be made in conjunction with expert legal advice in order to ensure your business policies and procedures are fit for purpose and don’t inadvertently cause you more problems.

Our expert Employment law solicitors are on hand to walk you through what needs to be done so that you are ready for when the changes are introduced.