A new era for employers: How to stay compliant with the Employment Rights Act?

9 April 2026

We are seeing some of the biggest changes to Employment Law in recent years and it can feel hard to keep up.

With the latest reforms of the Employment Rights Act now in effect, you need to know what you should be doing to stay compliant.

The pressure is on to protect your workforce and your business and the Head of our Employment Team, Amanda Hyam, breaks down the changes and your new requirements.

What Employment Law changes come into effect this April?

From April 2026, a number of Employment Rights Act reforms have come into effect and will impact your day-to-day workforce management.

Some of the biggest changes coming into effect are:

• Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) payable from the first day of sickness absence
• The lower earnings limit is being abolished
• Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) and SPP increasing to £194.32 a week
• Day-one entitlement for paternity leave and unpaid parental leave
• Employers face liability of up to 180 days’ uncapped pay per employee for failing to meet collective consultation obligations
• Sexual harassment is more protected under whistleblowing legislation

Employers must handle such disclosures carefully and ensure that no detriment arises as a result.

What should you be doing now to stay compliant?

These new reforms are a step towards greater employee protections and do require employers to stay on top of their compliance.

Employers need to review their existing employment contracts and policies to check they reflect the new legal requirements.

In particular, sickness absence policies should be updated to reflect day one rights and redundancy procedures need to be carefully assessed to comply with the consultation requirements.

Those responsible for managing staff must be crystal clear on their obligations, especially around handling sickness absence, family leave and sensitive matters such as harassment disclosures.

How can we support your new requirements?

We know that these reforms can feel overwhelming, especially as they continue to roll out throughout the year and into 2027.

We can help review your current handbooks and policies and ensure they are updated and support you if any employment disputes or claims arise.

For further guidance on the new Employment Rights Act reforms, contact our Employment Law team.