It’s not an easy time to be an employer. Between recruitment challenges, rising costs and economic uncertainty, managing people can already feel complex – and that’s before legislative change enters the mix.
Since the Labour government introduced the Employment Rights Bill in October 2024, employers have been facing one of the most significant proposed shake-ups to UK employment law in years. With consultations ongoing and details still evolving, many business owners are left wondering what they should be doing to prepare.
While this blog can’t act as a definitive guide to the reform, there’s no denying that change is upon us. Which is why we’re providing you with five practical tips to help you get ahead of the changes, reduce risk, and put your business in the strongest possible position.
1. Go back to basics on anything contractual
Before worrying about what lies ahead, first make sure your current foundations are solid.
Fair pay structures, clear employment contracts and up-to-date staff handbooks remain your first line of defence against disputes and non-compliance. Equally important are right-to-work checks, which can be an easy task to overlook, despite increasing enforcement and significant fines.
If your documents haven’t been reviewed recently, now is the time to ensure everything is up to date.
2. Prepare early for day one parental rights
From April 2026, employees are expected to gain day-one rights to unpaid parental leave and paternity leave, which is a huge shift away from the current qualifying periods.
This reflects a wider move towards more family-friendly workplaces, but it also means employers like you will need to update policies, systems, and communications well in advance. With expectant parents already in many organisations, being able to provide clarity around this change is essential.
3. Tighten up on recruitment, onboarding and probation processes
Proposed changes to unfair dismissal rights – including reducing the qualifying period to six months – will significantly reduce the margin for error in early employment decisions.
That makes strong recruitment processes, structured onboarding and well-managed probation periods more important than ever. Getting this right not only reduces legal risk, it sets expectations early and supports better long-term performance.
4. Take sexual harrasment prevention seriously
Since October 2024, employers have had a legal duty to take “reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, which has helped shift the focus away from organisations reacting to incidents, to actively preventing them.
That means reviewing policies, reinforcing a zero-tolerance stance, and ideally delivering training for managers or the wider workforce. Further changes are expected, including responsibility for harassment by third parties, so building a proactive culture now will pay dividends later.
5. Review your flexible working and sickness policies
Several reforms are already in force or are fast-approaching, which will directly affect how you manage your workforce. These include day-one rights to request flexible working, changes to statutory sick pay from April 2026, and new protections around zero-hour contracts and so-called “fire and rehire” practices.
Individually, each change may seem manageable. Collectively, they represent a significant shift in how employers manage absence, design contracts and provide flexibility for workers. Getting ahead now can help you stay compliant and reduce disruption before these changes take effect.
While many details of the Employment Rights Bill are still being finalised, one thing is certain: change is coming, and once the rules are passed, they won’t wait.
If you want a clearer picture of what’s changing, download our Employment Rights Pocket Book for straight-talking guidance and more information on how best to protect your business.
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