Employment Rights Act 2025 The latest briefing on this important piece of legislation.

The Employment Rights Act 2025 is now shaping up to be the most important piece of legislation for workers in a lifetime.

The Bill which became Law late last year, is now starting to come into legislation. Wherever you work, this Act will improve your Rights, so it is important to keep up with those changes.

What’s in the Act?

The Employment Rights Act 2025 delivers some of the biggest positive changes to workplace rights in decades. It introduces a wide range of new individual and collective rights, many of which UNISON has campaigned for over a long period.

Key improvements for individuals

• Stronger flexible working rights

• Ending the exploitative zero‑hours contract culture

• Sick pay from day one

• Wider bereavement leave for close family

• Improved pregnancy and maternity protections

• New day‑one rights to parental and paternity leave

Key improvements for collective organising

• New trade union access and recognition rights

• Strengthened facility time, including for equality reps

• Protection against detriment or dismissal for taking industrial action

• Fairer collective redundancy processes

• A new Fair Work Agency to enforce rights

• Establishment of -

  • An Adult Social Care Negotiating Body (England first)

  • A School Support Staff Negotiating Body

• A two‑tier workforce code to prevent outsourcing being used to undercut pay and conditions

Implementation timeline

18 Feb 2026: Repeal of most sections of the Trade Union Act 2016April 2026: First tranche of new rights (including day‑one sick pay)October 2026: Fire & Rehire ban, and new equality rep facility time rights1 January 2027: Unfair dismissal qualifying period reduced to six monthsApril & October 2027: Final technical elements implemented

UNISON will continue responding to consultations throughout 2026–27 to ensure these gains are delivered fully and not watered down.

To find out more AND take part in a Case Study on how the Act has changed the way in which you work, please visit the Unison website: Employment Rights Act 2025 - UNISON National

It is worth reminding readers of this website that all of the Reform Party MP's voted against this piece of legislation. Reform are not your friends if you work in the public sector.

This link takes you to a TUC article on The Right to Sick Pay. It highlights that women are the biggest group who will benefit from this single change. Reform voted against it!