UK: Government publishes planned timeline for Employment Rights Bill reforms and launches family leave and pay review

This morning the Government published its Roadmap for Implementing the Employment Rights Bill.  The Roadmap sets out three phases of consultation on different measures in the Bill, including:

• 'day 1' unfair dismissal protection in Summer/Autumn 2025 
• fire and rehire, various trade union measures, bereavement leave, rights for pregnant workers, and zero hours contracts in Autumn 2025
• further trade union measures, tipping law, collective redundancy and flexible working changes in Winter 2025/early 2026. 

Commencement dates will be informed by consultation and the majority will be commenced on the common commencement dates of 6 April or 1 October in the relevant year.  The Roadmap sets out the Government's initial view of when changes are likely to take effect, including:  

At or soon after Royal Assent (therefore likely to be this year): repeals of various trade union laws

April 2026: reforms to Statutory Sick Pay, simplifying the trade union recognition process, day one paternity leave and unpaid parental leave, doubling the collective redundancy protective award

October 2026: fire and rehire, strengthening trade unions’ right of access, changes to harassment law, and extending employment tribunal time limits

2027: day one unfair dismissal rights, gender pay gap action plans, rights for pregnant workers, zero hours contracts, collective redundancy consultation threshold, flexible working, bereavement leave.

Reforms related to gender pay gap outsourcing will be linked to the broader changes to pay gap reporting in the draft Equality (Race & Disability) Bill.

Employers will welcome confirmation that some of the more significant changes, such as day one unfair dismissal rights and the zero hour provisions, are not intended to apply until 2027.

The Government also launched its promised review of family leave and pay entitlements which will take place over the next 18 months.  A call for evidence, open until 25 August 2025, seeks views on how the current entitlements support the objectives of maternal health, labour market participation, facilitating the best start in life and reflecting childcare needs.  The review will consider all the current types of family leave and pay and will end with a roadmap for possible reforms.