Policy paper

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

Updated 22 October 2026

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, are being 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

To give workers, employers, and businesses confidence about the changes, this document sets out which measures have been introduced, and provides the latest timetable for measures expected to be introduced over the next two years.

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 who 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-Make Work Pay measure) enabling 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 took effect on 25 August 2026

• electronic and workplace balloting for statutory trade union ballots

Measures that took effect on 1 October 2026

• the time limit for bringing a claim to the Employment Tribunal has increased 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:

• 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

Measures that will take effect on 1 December 2026

• introducing Seafarer Protection Regulations

Measures that will take effect on 1 January 2027

• reduction of unfair dismissal qualifying period to 6 months, for dismissals from 1 January 2027, and uncapping compensatory awards
• the duty to inform workers of their right to join a trade union
• strengthening tipping law

Measures that will take effect in March 2027

• fire and rehire protections
• action plans on gender equality and supporting employees through the menopause (mandatory for public authorities) - in line with the current pay gap reporting cycle for public authorities

Measures that will take effect in April 2027

• action plans on gender equality and supporting employees through the menopause (mandatory for private and voluntary sector employers) - in line with the current pay gap reporting cycle for private and voluntary sector employers
• bereavement leave, including pregnancy loss
• extending blacklisting protections – banning blacklists drafted using AI, and banning blacklisting by third parties
• collective redundancy: organisation-wide threshold

Measures that will take effect in August 2027

• electronic balloting for statutory recognition and derecognition ballots

Measures that will take effect in September 2027 

• non-disclosure agreements (NDAs): regulations to prevent the misuse of NDAs in cases of workplace harassment or discrimination

Measures that will take effect in October 2027

• enhanced dismissal protections for pregnant women and new mothers
• flexible working

Measures that will take effect in December 2027

• regulation of umbrella companies

Reforms of zero hours and similar contracts

Timings for the introduction of the right to guaranteed hours, the right to reasonable notice and payment for shifts cancelled or changed at short notice will be updated following the consultation process.