Employment Rights Bill Roadmap: Key dates and what employers need to know

Insight

Employment Rights Bill Roadmap

On 01 July 2025, the government published a “roadmap” setting out its proposed timeline for implementing the various provisions of the Employment Rights Bill (ERB).

With employers needing to prepare for the Bill’s implementation, we have developed the following schedule, listing the most likely dates for each change.

As previously predicted, the Employment Rights Bill Roadmap confirms that commencement dates will be either 06 April or 01 October of the relevant year, typical for employment law changes.

Recognising that employers need time to prepare, the government has confirmed its commitment to:

Consulting with employers, trade unions, workers and other stakeholders;
Producing guidance, in collaboration with Acas or other organisations where appropriate;
Allowing time for employers, workers, trade unions and other stakeholders to prepare for the changes in advance of them taking effect; and
Providing support for Acas, the employment tribunal system and the new Fair Work Agency to facilitate enforcement.

The timetable is as follows:

Date	Change
At Royal Assent or soon afterwards	Repeal of most of the Trade Union Act 2016 (some provisions later via commencement order) Removing the 10-year ballot requirement for trade union political funds Simplifying industrial action notices and industrial action ballot notices Protections against dismissal for taking industrial action
April 2026	Doubling the maximum redundancy protective award (from 90 to 180 days’ pay) for failure to collectively consult Paternity leave and unpaid parental leave to become Day one rights Disclosures about sexual harassment to fall within whistleblowing protections Establishing the Fair Work Agency Changes to Statutory Sick Pay (removing Lower Earnings Limit and three-day waiting period) Simplifying the trade union recognition process Introducing trade union electronic and workplace balloting
October 2026	Prohibition of fire & rehire practices Establishing collective bargaining and new Fair Pay Agreement / Adult Social Care Negotiating Body New duty to inform workers of their right to join a trade union Strengthening trade unions’ right of access Employers to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment Obligation not to permit harassment by third parties New rights and protections for trade union reps Extending employment tribunal time limits (from three to six months) Extending protections against detriment for taking industrial action Changes to tipping laws
2027	Gender pay gap and menopause action plans (voluntary from April 2026) New rights for pregnant workers (likely ban on dismissal except in limited circumstances) Regulations specifying “reasonable” steps to prevent sexual harassment Blacklisting protections Industrial relations framework reforms New regulation of umbrella companies New collective consultation threshold for large-scale redundancies Flexible working enhancements Bereavement leave extended to all Ending exploitative use of zero hours contracts (offering guaranteed hours and notice of cancellation of shifts etc) Day one unfair dismissal rights

Employment Rights Bill Roadmap: Key dates and what employers need to know