Employment Rights Bill roadmap published

22 September 2025

On 1 July 2025, the Government published a roadmap for implementation of the Employment Rights Bill (ERB) setting out its planned timetable for further consultations and the implementation of various ERB measures.

The Government has made it clear that these may be subject to change.

Some changes are expected to take effect on or shortly after the Bill receiving Royal Assent, but the majority of changes will be in 2026 and 2027. Royal Assent is expected around the end of October 2025, after the party-political conference season.

The roadmap document states that the usual dates for employment law changes, namely 6 April and 1 October, will be used to commence the majority of the regulations bringing the detail of the ERB provisions into force.

Quick read

  • In 2026, we expect the following changes to come into force: most of the trade union measures; reforms to sick pay; day-one paternity leave; creation of the Fair Work Agency; the fire and re-hire ban; and tougher harassment laws.

  • In 2027, we expect other significant changes to come into force, including: the introduction of day-one unfair dismissal rights; changes to collective redundancy thresholds; and equality action plans.

Expected timeline

On receiving Royal Assent (autumn 2025)

The following measures will come into force on, or soon after, the ERB receives Royal Assent (expected around the end of October 2025, after conference season):

  • Repeal of most of the Trade Union Act 2016, summarised here (some provisions will be repealed via commencement order at a later date).

  • Repeal of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023.

  • Protection against dismissal for taking industrial action.

  • Removal of the ten-year ballot requirement for trade union political funds.

  • Simplifying industrial action notices and industrial action ballot notices.

Winter 2025 to early 2026

The Government expects to consult on:

  • Further trade union measures, including protection against detriment for taking industrial action and blacklisting.

  • Tightening tipping laws.

  • Collective redundancies.

  • Flexible working.

April 2026

The following provisions are due to come into force:

  • Increase in the maximum period of the collective redundancy protective award.

  • Day-one rights to paternity leave and unpaid parental leave.

  • Whistleblowing protections: the roadmap document does not specify which whistleblowing measures exactly; however, reports of sexual harassment will become “protected disclosures” for whistleblowing purposes.

  • Establishment of the Fair Work Agency.

  • Removal of the lower earnings limit and waiting period for Statutory Sick Pay.

  • Simplification of the trade union recognition process.

  • Electronic and workplace balloting.

Equality action plans, covering the steps employers are taking to address their gender pay gap and support employees going through menopause, are also expected to be introduced on a voluntary basis in April 2026.

October 2026

The following provisions are expected to come into force:

  • Ban on dismissal and re-engagement (fire and re-hire).

  • Requirement for employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment.

  • Requirement for employers to prevent third-party harassment of employees.

  • New rights and protections for trade union representatives.

  • Extension of tribunal time limits to six months.

  • Duty to inform workers of their right to join a trade union.

  • Strengthening of trade unions' rights of access to workplaces.

  • Tightening of tipping laws.

  • Two-tier procurement code for outsourced public sector workers.

2027

Measures that are expected to come into force in 2027 include:

  • Day-one right to protection from unfair dismissal.

  • Zero-hours contracts measures for zero-hours and low-hours contract workers and agency workers, including the duties to offer guaranteed-hours contracts, provide reasonable notice of shifts, and pay compensation for cancelled, moved or curtailed shifts.

  • Requirement for employers to produce equality action plans, covering the steps they are taking to address their gender pay gap and support employees going through menopause.

  • Increased rights for pregnant workers.

  • Introduction of the power for regulations to be made specifying what steps are to be regarded as reasonable in determining whether an employer has taken all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment.

  • Strengthening protections against blacklisting.

  • Industrial relations framework.

  • Regulation of umbrella companies.

  • New collective redundancy consultation threshold.

  • Introduction of reasonableness requirement to refuse flexible working requests.

  • Day-one right to bereavement leave.

How we can help

For further information, please contact the team at Synchrony Law.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Please note that the law may have changed since this article was published.

Chris Tutton