The Department for Business & Trade has published an updated timeline for the implementation dates for the changes under the Employment Rights Act 2025.
The following changes are now due to come into force on 30 October 2026:
- the duty to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment;
- employer liability for harassment of staff by third parties;
- the duty to inform workers of their right to join a trade union;
- the union right of access to workplaces; and,
- other union changes including freezing the bargaining unit once a recognition application is in, new rights for union representatives, and protection against detriment for taking industrial action.
In addition, electronic workplace balloting will come into force on 31 August and reform to tipping law has been pushed back from October to the end of 2026.
We are expecting the changes to employment tribunal time limits to come into force on 1 October 2026. The six-month qualifying period for unfair dismissal, the removal of the compensatory award cap and the fire and rehire protections are still expected to come into force in January 2027 but we don’t have a precise date confirmed.
You can find further detail on the Employment Rights Act and the changes which are coming into effect here.