What the Government’s Employment Rights Roadmap Means for Businesses in 2025
The UK Government has released its roadmap for implementing the proposed terms of the Employment Rights Bill. This provides clarity for employers over what they can expect this year and in the coming years when the Bill becomes law.
The Employment Rights Bill implementation roadmap is a government policy document published in July 2025. The Bill is currently in the final stages of Parliamentary review and is expected to achieve Royal Assent and become law later this year. The proposed changes included in the Bill are wide-ranging with very significant implications for employees and employers. The new roadmap has set out a slower rollout of these reforms than was previously suggested, with a phased introduction of new employee rights starting in 2025 and ending in 2027.
In this article, we cover everything employers need to know about the new Employment Rights Bill roadmap, with a particular focus on the changes that can be expected this year and what steps employers should take to be ready and maintain regulatory compliance.
Need guidance on what the Employment Rights Bill roadmap means for your organisation? Please contact Miranda Mulligan who will be happy to advise.
Key points to know about the Employment Rights roadmap
The Employment Rights Bill implementation roadmap sets out key points including:
- The terms of the Bill will come into effect in four phases according to the following timeline:
- When the Bill achieves assent or shortly thereafter (expected to be Autumn/Winter 2025)
- April 2026
- October 2026
- An unspecified date in 2027
- The changes planned for phase 1 are focused on trade unions and industrial action, including repealing the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 and the majority of the Trade Union Act 2016
- Phase 2 will include reform to rules around collective redundancy awards, parental leave, statutory sick pay and whistleblowing protections
- Phases 3 and 4 will include reforms related to issues including unfair dismissal, fire and rehire practices, zero-hour contracts, employers’ obligations to prevent sexual harassment, and flexible working rights
- Before the changes come into effect, the Government will carry out statutory consultations with employers, workers, trade unions and other relevant parties throughout the rest of 2025 and into 2026
- Employers need to be aware of the upcoming changes and when they will take effect so they can ensure that their policies and practices will remain compliant
- Any breach of employment law by an employer could result in an employment tribunal claim by an employee, opening the employer up to serious financial and reputational risks
Longmores highly experienced employment Law team can assist employers with clear guidance on the new rules and what steps they will need to take to maintain compliance.
What changes to employment law are expected in 2025 and early 2026
The first set of reforms to come into effect when the Bill becomes law or soon thereafter all relate to trade unions and industrial action. These reforms include:
- Repealing the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 that gave employers in certain key sectors, such as the NHS and education, to force employees to continue working during a strike to maintain ‘minimum service levels’
- Repealing most of the Trade Union Act 2016 which included measures that restricted trade unions’ ability to take industrial action and carry out their duties, and to fund political parties
- Simplifying notices for industrial action and ballots
- Introducing protections against dismissal for taking industrial action
The second set of reforms, due to come into effect in April 2026, include:
- Giving employees the right to parental leave and unpaid parental leave from the first day of their employment
- Expanding Statutory Sick Pay to all employees, removing the previous lower earning limit and the requirement for an employee to have been off sick for three days before they can claim
- Doubling the maximum award employers must pay if they breach collective redundancy consultation rules
- New protections for whistle blowers
- Establishing the Fair Work Agency to enforce employment rights
What other changes to employment law will be introduced later?
Additional changes that will be introduced later in 2026 and in 2027 include:
- Requiring employers to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent their employees from being sexually harassed
- Extending protection from unfair dismissal to cover all employees from their first day of employment, subject to rules on probationary periods
- Banning ‘fire and rehire’ practices where employers terminate an employee’s contract, then rehire them on less favourable terms
- Introducing a right to flexible working for all roles and a requirement for employers to accommodate flexible working requests as far as is reasonable
- Broadening the right to bereavement leave for employees to cover “other loved ones” (this right currently only applies to parents who experience the death of a child)
- Banning zero-hour contracts (including for agency workers)
- Requiring employers to consult with employee representatives on tipping policies
- Placing a duty on employers to inform workers of their right to join a trade union
- Requiring large employers to create action plans to tackle the gender pay gap and the impact of menopause on women’s employment
What is the statutory consultation process for the Employment Rights Bill?
The statutory consultation process is where the Government will seek the views of employers, employees, trade unions and other relevant stakeholders on how the terms of the Bill should be implemented.
What do employers need to do to get ready for these changes?
Although it may still be several months until the first wide-ranging changes come into effect, this does not mean employers can put off doing anything about it. Given that the plan is for the first phase of changes to be implemented almost immediately when the Bill becomes law, employers should aim to be ready in advance.
Employers would be wise to carefully scrutinise the proposed reforms contained within the Employment Rights Bill and consider how these might impact their business. They should review all of their employment contracts, policies and practices to identify any areas of potential conflict or non-compliance with the new rules. Where any issues are identified, updated documents should be prepared that align with the new requirements.
It is highly recommended to seek expert employment law advice for this process. This helps to ensure that the new rules are fully understood and that no potential issues are overlooked.
What are the consequences for breaches of employee rights?
If an employer breaches an employee’s legal rights, then that employee could potentially take legal action against them. This will usually involve the employee raising a grievance and, if a suitable resolution cannot be reached, they may make an employment claim.
When an employment claim is made, then both sides will usually first need to work with the employment dispute resolution service Acas to try to negotiate a mutually acceptable resolution. If this is unsuccessful, then the employee could take their claim to an employment tribunal.
If the employer is found to have breached the employee’s rights, then they will normally be required to pay the employee compensation. Added to the legal costs involved, this can be a significant financial penalty. On top of this, losing an employment claim can create a very negative public perception of the employer, which can be even more damaging than any financial impact.
How Longmores can help employers with employment rights advice
At Longmores, our Employment Law team regularly advises businesses and senior employees on a wide range of issues, including in relation to employment rights. We can review your existing policies and practices to ensure they are compliant with current legislation as well as helping you prepare for the changes expected when the Employment Rights Bill becomes law.
Download the UK Government’s roadmap for implementing the proposed terms of the Employment Rights Bill.
For expert guidance on what the Employment Rights Bill roadmap means for your organisation, please contact Miranda Mulligan who will be happy to advise.
Please note, the contents of this blog are given for information only and must not be relied upon. Legal advice should always be sought in relation to specific circumstances.
