2027
According to the updated timeline, for implementation of new rights under the ERA 2025, measures expected to come into force are: Gender Pay Gap and Menopause Action plans; enhanced dismissal protections for pregnant women and new mothers; guidance on what steps will help determine whether an employer has taken all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment; changes to the collective consultation threshold for collective redundancies; changes to flexible working; changes to bereavement leave; ending zero hours contracts and applying same measures to agency workers; the regulation of umbrella companies and a new industrial relations framework. In a bite size series of videos, our employment team unpacks the key reforms under the Employment Rights Act 2025, with practical takeaways to help you prioritise and prepare. You can watch and subscribe to these here.
1 January 2027
According to the updated timeline for implementation of new rights under the ERA 2025, the unfair dismissal compensation cap will be removed alongside changes to the qualifying period of unfair dismissal (to six months). Further details available here.
January 2027
According to the updated timeline for implementation of new rights under the ERA 2025 fire and re-hire protections are expected to come into effect (originally expected in October 2026).
Government review of parental leave and pay expected to conclude. Further details available here.
2026
October 2026
According to the updated timeline for implementation of new rights under the ERA 2025, measures expected to come into force are: requirement to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace; introducing obligation on employers not to permit the harassment of their employees by third parties and introducing a power to enable regulations to specify steps that are to be regarded as ‘reasonable’, to determine whether an employer has taken all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment; increased ET time limits; duty to inform workers of right to join a trade union; access to workplace rights for trade unions and extending the protection against detriments for taking industrial action. You can watch and subscribe to a series of videos as our employment team unpacks the key reforms under the Employment Rights Act here.
16 October
The new remuneration rules outlined in the Bank of England’s Policy Statement 21/25 come into effect to firms’ performance years starting after today.
September 2026
01 September
The new COCON rule for non-banks, and FCA Handbook guidance on NFM for all SMCR firms will come into force and will only apply to misconduct occurring from 1 September 2026. Further details available here.
August 2026
According to the updated timeline for implementation of new rights under the ERA 2025, electronic and workplace balloting for Statutory Trade Union Ballots will take effect.
June 2026
7 June
Member States must implement the EU Pay Transparency Directive. Further details available.
May 2026
21 May
The Make Work Pay Consultation on the threshold for triggering collective redundancy obligations closes.
1 May
The Make Work Pay Consultation on modernising the Agency Worker Regulatory Framework closes. Further details available.
April 2026
30 April
The Make Work Pay Consultation on improving access to flexible working closes. Further details available.
23 April
The consultation on Protection from Detriments for taking industrial action closes. Further details available.
7 April
According to the updated timeline for implementation of new rights under the ERA 2025, the Fair Work Agency will be established.
6 April
According to the updated timeline for implementation of new rights under the ERA 2025, measures expected to come into force are: collective redundancy protective award doubled from 90 to 180 days; “day 1” paternity leave and unpaid parental leave; bereaved partners’ paternity leave; removal of the Statutory Sick Pay waiting period and Lower Earnings Limit; sexual harassment disclosure protected as whistleblowing and simplifying trade union recognition processes. The weekly rates of statutory payments increase, including to statutory sick pay, maternity pay, adoption pay, paternity pay, shared parental leave pay, neonatal leave pay and parental bereavement pay will rise.
It is also expected that voluntary compliance with gender equality action plans will be introduced for employers with 250 or more employees. To become mandatory from spring 2027 (subject to secondary legislation). Government guidance is available.
4 April
Next gender pay gap reports are due. Government guidance available here.
1 April
National Minimum Wage rates to increase.
The Make Work Pay Consultations on Fire and rehire – changes to expenses, benefits and shift patterns and Recognition Code of Practice and e-balloting unfair practices both close. Further details available.
March 2026
London Employment Tribunal contact number to be centralised to: HMCTS National Services - 0300 323 0196.
February 2026
18 February
The Government consultation on options for reform of non-compete clauses in employment contracts closed. Further details available.
Trade Union provisions in the Employment Rights Act 2025 came into force: Repealing a great majority of the Trade Union Act 2016; simplifying industrial action and ballot notices, and removing the 10 year ballot requirement for trade union political funds. Further details available. You can watch and subscribe to a series of videos as our employment team unpacks the key reforms under the Employment Rights Act here.
January 2026
23 January
The ICO consultation on new draft guidance outlining its approach to investigations and enforcement action under the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 closed. Further detail available.
15 January
Two separate government consultations on leave for bereavement including pregnancy loss, and enhanced dismissal protections for pregnant women and new mothers both close. Further detail available.
1 January
Provision 29 of the FRC’s UK Corporate Governance Code will come into effect.
2025
December 2025
29 December
The Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act 2024 was brought into force giving bereaved fathers and partners immediate entitlement to statutory paternity leave when the birth mother or adoptive parent dies.
18 December
The Employment Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent. Further detail available.
The Strikes (Minimum Services Levels) Act was repealed upon Royal Assent of the Employment Rights Act.
Two separate government consultations on a new statutory duty on employers to inform workers of their legal right to join and trade union, and trade union’s right of access to workplaces both closed. Further detail available.
1 December
The Acas early conciliation (EC) period has been extended from six weeks to 12 weeks for all cases notified to Acas on or after this date. Further detail available.
November 2025
30 November
Employers proposing to dismiss 20 or more employees will be required to complete the updated HR1 form digitally. Further detail available.
The House of Lords Committee on Home-based Working will report on their inquiry into the effects and future development of remote and hybrid working.
26 November
The Autumn budget. Further details available here.
October 2025
30 October
The ICO consultation clarifying the new “recognised legitimate interest” for the processing of personal data closed. Further detail available.
19 October
The ICO consultation concerning new guidance on data protection complaints and the new lawful basis for processing personal data closed. Further detail available.
16 October
FCA and PRA Policy Statement on remuneration reform amending remuneration rules for dual-regulated firms came into effect. Further detail available.
9 October
The call for evidence on unpaid internships closed. A response is expected early 2026.
7 October
The FCA Consultation Paper (CP25/21) and the PRA Consultation Paper (CP18/25) proposing “Phase 1” amendments to the SMCR and the HMT consultation on reducing the SMCR’s regulatory burden by 50% all closed. Read more here.
1 October
The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 (Permitted Disclosures) Regulations 2025 is in force effecting enforceability of NDAs signed on or after this date.
September 2025
10 September
FCA Consultation Paper on non-financial misconduct CP25/18 closed. Further detail available.
1 September
Provisions relating to the failure to prevent fraud in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 came into force.
August 2025
31 August
Solo-regulated firms with a reporting period ending after 31 August 2025 are no longer required to submit nil returns for the annual REP008 form (detailing reportable Conduct Rule breaches by Conduct Rule staff (other than Senior Managers) for firms).
25 August
The Parental Leave and Pay initial consultation closed.
30 June
The EHRC consultation on its proposed changes to the EHRC Code of Practice of services, public functions and associations following the Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland closed. Further detail available.
The Office for Equality and Opportunity (OEO)'s call for evidence closed, inviting feedback on existing equality legislation and possible equality law reform and seeking evidence to inform the drafting of the regulations specifying steps employers must take to prevent sexual harassment. Further details available.
26 June
The Public Interest Disclosure (Prescribed Persons) (Amendment) Order 2025 is in force adding HM Treasury as a new prescribed person for disclosures relating to breaches of UK financial sanctions, and expanding the matters that can be disclosed to the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and the Secretary of State for Transport expressly to include disclosures relating to sanctions.
19 June
The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 received Royal Assent amending the Data Protection Act and UK GDPR. Changes are expected to be phased in between June 2025 and June 2026. Further detail available here.
10 June
The government consultation seeking views on how to implement mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting for employers with 250 or more employees closed. Further details available.
May 2025
21 May
The new Employment Tribunal Practice Directions take effect. ET3 response may no longer be filed by email as a matter of course. Emailed responses will only be accepted in exceptional and evidenced circumstances. Further details available.
19 May
The Tribunal Procedure Committee consultation on proposed changes to the Employment Tribunal Procedure Rules 2024 closed. Further details available.
April 2025
25 April
Submissions in response to the House of Lords Committee on Home-based Working’s call for evidence closed.
6 April
Changes to compensation limits awarded by Employment Tribunals to increase. Further details available here.
Key employment law rates including national minimum wage, statutory maternity, adoption, paternity, shared parental and parental bereavement pay will increase. Further details available.
The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act will come into force, giving day-one rights to eligible employees to be able to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave in addition to their other family leave entitlements. Further details available.
4 April
Gender pay gap reports were due.
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