April 2026 changes to the Employments Rights Bill

 

What you need to know and why there’s no need to panic!

 

With changes to UK Employment Rights legislation landing from April 2026, many business owners are wondering what the changes mean in practice and if they need to start ripping up their policies. The good news? Most updates only require small tweaks when handled early, and Amica HR is here to make that process simple.

Here's an overview of what’s coming up and how it may affect your organisation.

 

Confirmed changes to UK Employment Rights Bill coming into force from April 2026

1. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) reforms

SSP will be payable from the first day of sickness absence (no more waiting three days).

Lower Earnings Limit threshold will also be abolished, meaning lower-paid, part-time and zero-hours workers will also qualify for SSP.

 

2. ‘Day-One’ paternity and parental leave rights

Paternity leave and unpaid parental leave become available from an employee’s first day of employment rather than after a qualifying period.

 

3. Increased redundancy consultation wwards

The maximum protective award for failure to consult in collective redundancies will double from 90 to 180 days’ pay.

 

4. A new 'Fair Work Agency'

A new enforcement body, the Fair Work Agency, is scheduled to begin operating in April 2026 to integrate enforcement of key workplace rights.

 

5. Whistleblowing protection for sexual harassment disclosures

Sexual harassment disclosures will officially become a protected whistleblowing disclosure. This means employees raising such issues have statutory protection from detriment and unfair dismissal.

 

6. Simplified trade union recognition process

Trade union recognition procedures made easier with the use of electronic and workplace balloting.

 

7. Voluntary gender pay gap and menopause action plans

Employers can start preparing voluntary gender pay gap reports and menopause action plans from this date (with a view to mandatory requirements later).

 

 

 

These reforms come into effect from April 2026 and are part of a phased rollout of the Employment Rights Act through 2026 and 2027. For immediate help, get in touch with our team of HR experts.

 

 

What do you need to do?

Some of your HR policies and onboarding documents may need updating, such as:

• Employment contracts
• Employee handbook
• Sickness and absence policy
• Payroll processes
• Redundancy processes
• Refresh training and ensure whistleblowing and harassment reporting routes are clear

If you’re already keeping your contracts, policies and processes up to date, the 2026 reforms shouldn’t be overwhelming. In fact, reviewing everything now puts you ahead of the curve and helps avoid last-minute scrambles once legislation lands.

Many of our customers find that only small, proactive adjustments are needed, rather than any major sweeping changes.

 

How Amica HR can support you

At Amica HR, we help you to stay compliant, confident and commercially protected, without drama or long-term contracts. We support businesses in London and nationwide.

Our expert HR team offer:

• Tailored HR support that fits your business

• Fully outsourced HR, retained or ad-hoc HR help depending on your needs

• Clear, pragmatic advice — never call-centre scripts

• A free initial 30 minute HR compliance review for all new clients

If you’d like support understanding what the 2026 reforms mean specifically for your business, we’re here to help.

Call us on 020 7110 0006 or mail info@amicahr.co.uk