The Government has now published its promised ‘Roadmap’ setting out broad timescales for implementation of the measures due to be introduced under the Employment Rights Bill.
The intention is to give employers sufficient time to prepare and for the Government to produce “clear and comprehensive” guidance ahead of implementation to help organisations navigate the changes.
In summary, the timescales set out in the roadmap are as follows.
| On (or soon after) Royal Assent | – Repeal of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 and the majority of the Trade Union Act 2016, removing many existing restrictions on industrial action. – Increased protections against dismissal for taking industrial action. – Simplification of industrial action notices and ballot notices. |
| April 2026 (Likely 6 April) | – SSP – removal of lower earnings limit and three-day waiting period. – Increased protective award for failure to comply with collective redundancy consultation (to a maximum 180 days’ pay, up from 90 days’ pay). – Day one, paternity leave and unpaid parental leave entitlements. – Increased whistleblowing protections. – Establishment of the Fair Work Agency. – Simplification of trade union recognition and balloting procedures (including electronic balloting). |
| October 2026 (Likely 1 October) | – Increased time limit for bringing employment tribunal claims (from three to six months). – Restrictions on ability for employers to terminate and re-engage (fire and rehire). – Extension of duty to prevent sexual harassment to “all reasonable steps”. – New obligation for employers to prevent third party harassment. – Strengthened rules on tipping allocation. – Establishment of adult social care negotiating body. – New rights and protections for trade union representatives. – Strengthened trade union rights of access to workplaces. – Two-tier procurement code for outsourced public sector workers. |
| 2027 (month not yet specified, but likely to be April/October) | – Day one right to claim unfair dismissal. – New protections and the requirement to offer guaranteed hours contract to those on low/zero-hours. – Enhanced dismissal protection for pregnant women and new mothers. – Statutory bereavement leave. – Strengthened right to request flexible working. – Mandatory gender pay gap and menopause action plans (NB these are set to be introduced on a voluntary basis from April 2026). – Regulations on what are ‘reasonable steps’ for the prevention of sexual harassment. – Strengthened protections against blacklisting. – A new framework for industrial relations. – Regulation of umbrella companies. – New collective redundancy consultation threshold (for multi-site redundancies). |
Further consultations will be required in respect of some of these measures, with details set out in secondary legislation. This will include ‘day one’ rights to claim unfair dismissal and the practical application of the statutory probation period (‘initial period of employment’). Consultation on this has been promised for summer/autumn of this year, so is expected to be published imminently.
Additional consultations are expected in autumn this year, to include restrictions on the ability for employers to dismiss and re-engage (“fire and rehire”), new protections for those on zero-hours contracts, statutory bereavement leave and increased rights for pregnant workers.
In addition, some existing Codes of Practice will need to be amended (or revoked), and some new Codes of Practice will be required. These will also need to be consulted on before they are finalised.
What’s next?
The Bill is now awaiting the Report Stage in the House of Lords, which has been scheduled for 14 July 2025. This will be followed by the Bill’s third and final reading in the House of Lords, before it crosses back to the House of Commons to consider amendments made by the Lords. The House of Commons is due to begin its summer recess on 22 July, meaning that the Bill is now very unlikely to be granted Royal Assent until the autumn.
Key Contacts
The content of this article is for general information only. It is not, and should not be taken as, legal advice. If you require any further information in relation to this article please contact the author in the first instance. Law covered as at July 2025.