The Employment Rights Act 2025 that passed in December 2025 contains a number of rule changes to make it easier to access workplace rights, and some new laws to make work safer and fairer for employees and agency workers.

The changes could affect your pay, hours and job security. They could also improve family-related protections and make it easier to resolve disputes early.

Key changes include:

• clearer rules around your working hours, and your right to be paid if a shift is cancelled
• stronger protections when you raise concerns to reduce the risk of losing pay or work unfairly
• sick pay to start from day one of your illness
• better protections for parents and carers to support your right to time off and flexible working.

The new rules will be introduced gradually. The first changes that concern strikes and industrial action are already in place.

Read ACAS’ Employment Rights Act 2025 timelineOpens in a new window for a complete list of all of the changes included in the Act, and when they will come into effect.

From April 2026, Paternity Leave or parental leave for the non-carrying partner will become a day-one right for employees. You can give notice of your plans to take this leave from 18 February 2026.

Talk to your manager or HR department if you plan to take Paternity Leave from 6 April 2026.

Most of the changes coming in from 6 April 2026 cover parental leave.

These include:

• Paternity Leave will become a ‘day-one right’. This means you will be entitled to Paternity Leave from your first day of employment instead of needing to have been employed at your place of work for 26 weeks or more
• ordinary parental leave will also be a day-one right - this is your right to take unpaid time off to care for your children
• you will now be able to take Paternity Leave after Shared Parental Leave, previously you had to take Paternity Leave first
• fathers and partners will now be able to take up to 52 weeks of unpaid leave if the mother or primary adopter dies when your child is under a year old or in the first year of adoption.

Changes to your rights to claim sick pay also start from 6 April 2026:

• you will now be able to claim Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from the first day of your illness, it used to start from the fourth day
• the lower earnings limit has been lifted, meaning there is no minimum income needed to be able to claim SSP.

There are also changes to protections around whistleblowingOpens in a new window, find out more on the GOV.UK site.

From 1 January 2027 you will be able to make a claim for unfair dismissal after you’ve been employed for 6 months. Currently you need to be employed for 2 years before you are eligible to make a claim.

Dismissal and rehire (sometimes called fire and rehire) will automatically become an unfair dismissal in most cases from 1 January 2027. This is when your contract is terminated, and you are rehired on worse terms and conditions.  

More changes that strengthen dismissal protections for pregnant workers and new mothers are due to come in during 2027. These are still being consulted on, so there are no confirmed details yet.

One proposal is to extend the period that protections apply. This could mean that protection from dismissal covers pregnancy, maternity leave and a defined period after returning to work.

Who will be covered and how long the protected period will last will depend on the final version of the law.

If you are pregnant or planning to have children, there are some practical steps you can take.

• Keep written records of important discussions
• ask for decisions to be confirmed in writing
• seek advice early if you are unsure about your rights.

There are more proposed changes planned to be brought in during 2027 that could affect your rights to guaranteed hours and when you should be notified of shift changes.

The proposed changes include:

• employees on zero-hours or low-hours contracts will have right to guaranteed working hours if they want them
• you should get reasonable notice of shifts and shift changes from your employer
• if your shift gets shortened, cancelled or moved without enough notice you will be able to claim compensation.

If you are on a zero-hours or low-hours contract, start keeping track of the hours that you do. When the new protections come in, your guaranteed hours should reflect the hours you usually work, so it could be helpful to have a record.

You can get free guidance from ACASOpens in a new window, Citizens AdviceOpens in a new window, a trade union if you are a member, or a qualified employment adviser.

Find more details about your new rights and other changes from the Employment Rights ActOpens in a new window on the GOV.UK website.