Legal News | 2.02.26

April 2026 – A Closer Look at the Latest Employment Law Reforms

NB: The ‘key dates’ summary was further updated 10 February 2026 to reflect newly released government guidance.

April 2026 marks a significant step in the phased implementation of the Employment Rights Act 2025 (“the Act”), one of the most comprehensive reforms to UK employment law in recent years. The changes to be introduced in spring form part of a wider range of reforms scheduled throughout 2026 and into 2027, with the aim of strengthening the protection of workers, modernising family-friendly rights, and increasing the accountability of employers.

Family Rights: Introduction of Day-One Entitlements: 6 April 2026

Several family-related rights will become more accessible:

• Paternity leave becomes a day‑one right
  The 26‑week service requirement to take statutory paternity leave is removed. Transitional notice rules apply from 18 February 2026 for leave taken on or after 6 April 2026.
• Unpaid parental leave becomes a day‑one right
  The current one‑year service requirement is abolished from 6 April 2026.
• Flexibility after Shared Parental Leave
  The restriction preventing paternity leave after taking Shared Parental Leave will be removed, offering families more flexibility.
• Bereavement-related changes
  The Act creates a new statutory day‑one entitlement to unpaid bereavement leave (including pregnancy loss). Commencement and detailed rules are to be set in regulations. Separately, new paternity provisions for bereaved partners are scheduled from April 2026 by regulation.

Collectively, these changes represent a shift towards supporting working parents, ensuring that essential family rights are not dependent on length of service in a workplace.

Statutory Sick Pay: Immediate Coverage: 6 April 2026

Three major reforms introduced by the Act also ensure Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is more inclusive:

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): Access and Calculation (from 6 April 2026)

• Day‑one SSP
  The three (3) ‘waiting days’ are removed and eligible workers receive SSP from their first full day of sickness absence.
• Lower Earnings Limit abolished
  Eligibility will no longer depend on meeting the Lower Earnings Limit, widening access to lower‑paid and part‑time workers.
• New payment method
  From 6 April 2026, SSP is payable at the lower of the statutory flat rate for the year, or 80% of the worker’s average weekly earnings. Transitional protections apply for ongoing absences spanning 6 April 2026.

These reforms represent an attempt to widen the financial protection for lower-income workers.

Collective Redundancy: Higher Penalties for Non-Compliance

Employers should also be aware of a significant increase to the potential liabilities that may be associated with collective redundancies. A collective redundancy occurs when an employer proposes to dismissal 20 or more employees at a single establishment within a 90-day period. The maximum protective award for failing to consult appropriately on collective redundancies will increase, doubling from 90 to 180 days’ pay. This change provides a greater emphasis on proper consultation processes. An additional, organisation‑wide threshold for triggering collective consultation will be introduced by regulations at a later date.

Whistleblowing and Equality

Several reforms will be introduced in Spring 2026 with the objective of promoting equality in the workplace:

• Sexual harassment disclosures protected (from 6 April 2026)
  A disclosure about sexual harassment will expressly qualify as a ‘protected disclosure’ under whistleblowing law, giving whistleblowers protection from unfair dismissal when making a sexual harassment disclosure.
• Equality Action Plans (gender pay gap & menopause)
  Large employers (250+ employees) will be able to publish Equality Action Plans on a voluntary basis from April 2026. These become mandatory from 1 January 2027, alongside new outsourcing transparency requirements.

Reforms Affecting Trade Unions

From 18 February 2026, several industrial action law changes take effect (including shorter notice periods, longer mandate periods and stronger dismissal protections). In addition, and expected during 2026, trade union members will be permitted to vote electronically going forward, making this more modern, flexible and accessible.

Fair Work Agency Launch

April 2026 sees the establishment and launch of the Fair Work Agency: an enforcement body with greater compliance powers. The agency will aim to bring together existing enforcement bodies, and will take responsibility for monitoring key employment rights, including holiday pay, SSP, and national minimum wage.

Looking Ahead: Key Dates After April 2026

• October 2026: New employer duty to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment and strengthened tipping rules are expected to take effect.
• 2027: Further measures, including zero‑hours protections, the reduction of the unfair dismissal qualifying period to 6 months, removal of the compensatory award cap for ordinary unfair dismissal claims and restrictions on ‘fire‑and‑rehire (expected from 1 January 2027), are scheduled, alongside mandatory Equality Action Plans.

These measures signal a broader shift in employment regulation, and early preparation could ensure the beginning of a more compliant workplace.

This article should not be relied upon as legal advice. If you would like specific legal advice or require any assistance, then please get in touch: 020 4549 2460 or 01380 733300 | commercial@wansbroughs.com