Enhanced employment rights came into effect on 6th April 2026, meaning UK workers now benefit from a range of new protections. These include changes to Statutory Sick Pay, paternity leave and redundancy protections.
The new rules are part of the Employment Rights Act 2025, which was passed last year but is being gradually phased in over the next two years.
Employment Rights Minister, Kate Dearden said: "No one should have to drag themselves into work when they’re unwell because they can’t afford not to - and no new parent should miss out on time with their child because they haven’t been in their job long enough."
What has the Employment Rights Act 2025 changed?
The new rules have been labelled as some of the most significant changes to employment protections in decades. For example, 9.6 million UK workers are set to benefit from the changes to sick pay rules alone, according to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), while paternity leave will change significantly and existing core workplace rights will be enforced more strictly by a dedicated body.
Here is a summary of the changes that applied from 6th April 2026:
- Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) - There is now no minimum earnings threshold, with SSP paid from day one (previously only on the fourth day of illness). You can get 80% of your average weekly earnings or £123.25 per week, whichever is lower.
- Day-one family leave - Employees are entitled to paternity leave and unpaid parental leave from the first day in a new job. Previously, it kicked in after 26 weeks for paternity leave and a year for unpaid parental leave. The restriction on taking paternity leave after shared parental leave has also been removed.
- Bereaved partner's paternity leave - New day-one right to up to 52 weeks’ unpaid leave for the partner of a child's mother or primary adopter if they die within the first year of the child's life or adoption.
- Collective redundancy protections - Maximum protective award doubled to 180 days' pay for employees if firms fail to properly consult on collective redundancies.
- Whistleblowing protections - Stronger protections for workers who report sexual harassment (now a "protected disclosure") mean they can be protected from unfair dismissal or mistreatment.
- Enforcement through the Fair Work Agency - A new single body, bringing together several existing enforcement organisations, to uphold workers' rights and support businesses with compliance. New powers include workplace inspections, issuing penalties for underpayment, taking legal action on behalf of workers and enforcing criminal labour law breaches.
- Holiday pay records - Employers must keep adequate records for six years to show they have complied with holiday pay and holiday entitlement rules.
- Equality Action Plans - Firms with 250 or more employees are "encouraged" to publish an Equality Action Plan, showing the steps being taken to reduce their gender pay gap and support employees, including those experiencing menopause. This will become mandatory in 2027.
Will there be more changes to employment rights?
Yes, these are only some of the reforms approved by parliament under the Employment Rights Act 2025, with further significant changes scheduled for later this year and 2027.
For example, headline changes to unfair dismissal protections will not be introduced until 1st January 2027, while changes to trade union legislation and reforms to protect employees against harassment will come into force over the next two years.
What else is changing this month?
The start of the new tax year on 6th April is often when new legislation, tax changes, or benefit rises take effect. We have summarised everything you need to know about the start of the 2026/27 tax year in our article 'New tax year changes for 2026 - how will they affect me?'.
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