Policy paper

Plan to Make Work Pay and Employment Rights Act: timeline update

Updated 16 July 2026

This was published under the 2024 to 2026 Starmer Labour government

Background 

The government is delivering its Plan to Make Work Pay (MWP) to bring employment rights legislation into the 21st century, extending employment protections already given by the best British companies to millions more workers across the country.

The reforms within the Plan to Make Work Pay, including reforms introduced through the Employment Rights Act 2025, will be delivered in phases so that employers, businesses and workers have time to plan and prepare.

Consultation 

The government continues to undertake extensive engagement and consultation on the implementation of the Plan to Make Work Pay and the Employment Rights Act 2025 to ensure that these changes work for both workers, and businesses of all sizes. View a full list of the consultation documents.

Timetable for changes being introduced in 2026 and 2027

To give workers, employers, and businesses confidence about upcoming changes, this document sets out the latest timetable for measures introduced, or expected to be introduced, in 2026 and 2027.

All future dates remain subject to parliamentary processes and may change. Longer-term timings will remain under review as we continue to consult on and develop the details of these policies.

Measures that took effect at Royal Assent, December 2025 

• the repeal of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023

Measures that took effect on 18 February 2026 

• the repeal of the great majority of the Trade Union Act 2016, thereby simplifying requirements on trade unions, including in relation to industrial action and political funds  
• removing the 10-year ballot requirement for trade union political funds 
• simplifying industrial action notices and industrial action ballot notices 
• protections against dismissal for taking industrial action 
• employees that are newly eligible for ‘Day 1’ Paternity Leave and Unpaid Parental Leave can give notice

Measures that took effect on 1 April 2026

• the repeal of the levy that trade unions and employer associations pay to the Certification Officer

Measures that took effect on 6 April 2026 

• collective redundancy protective award – doubling the maximum period of the protective award 
• ‘Day 1’ Paternity Leave and Unpaid Parental Leave
• whistleblowing – strengthening protections for workers who ‘blow the whistle’ on sexual harassment 
• Bereaved Partners’ Paternity Leave – (non-MWP measure) will enable bereaved fathers and partners to take up to 52 weeks of paternity leave if the mother or primary adopter dies within the first year of the child’s life  
• Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) – removing the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) and waiting period 
• action plans on gender equality and supporting employees through the menopause (voluntary) 
• menopause guidance 
• simplifying trade union recognition process – removal of likely majority test on application and removal of the 40% support threshold in recognition ballots

Measures that took effect on 7 April 2026

• the establishment of the Fair Work Agency

Measures that will take effect by 31 August 2026 

• electronic and workplace balloting for statutory trade union ballots

Measures that will take effect on 1 October 2026

• the time limit for bringing a claim to the Employment Tribunal will increase from 3 to 6 months – for breach of employment contract claims in Scotland this change will take place on 9 November 2026

Measures that will take effect on 30 October 2026

The trade union measures include:

• the duty to inform workers of their right to join a trade union
• strengthening trade unions’ right of access
• implementing reforms to access and unfair practices during the recognition and derecognition process, and all remaining trade union recognition measures, including freezing the bargaining unit when an application is received
• new rights and protections for trade union representatives
• extending protections against detriments for taking industrial action

The harassment measures include:

• requiring employers to take ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment of their employees
• introducing an obligation on employers not to permit the harassment of their employees by third parties
• introducing a power that will enable the minister to make regulations at a later date, specifying evidence-based steps which employers must take to prevent sexual harassment (this will complement not replace the broader legislative requirement to take all reasonable steps)

Other measures that will be introduced in October 2026

• bringing forward regulations to establish the Fair Pay Agreement Adult Social Care Negotiating Body in England
• procurement – reinstating the two-tier code to ensure outsourced private sector employees are offered no less favourable terms and conditions to employees transferred from the public sector

Measures that will take effect in December 2026

• introducing Seafarer Protection Regulations

Measures that will take effect by the end of 2026

• strengthening tipping law

Measures that will take effect in January 2027

• reduction of unfair dismissal qualifying period to 6 months, for dismissals from 1 January 2027, and uncapping compensatory awards
• fire and rehire protections

Measures that will take effect in 2027

• action plans on gender equality and supporting employees through the menopause (mandatory)
• enhanced dismissal protections for pregnant women and new mothers
• extending blacklisting protections
• industrial relations framework
• regulation of umbrella companies
• collective redundancy – collective consultation threshold
• flexible working
• bereavement leave including pregnancy loss
• introduction of the right to guaranteed hours and the right to reasonable notice and short notice payments (timings will be updated after consultation)
• electronic and workplace balloting for recognition and derecognition ballots
• non-disclosure agreements (NDAs): regulations to prevent the misuse of NDAs in cases of workplace harassment or discrimination