2026 is shaping to be a year of significant employment law changes with some coming into effect in April and the remainder expected to come into effect in October. The proposed changes below are expected to come into effect in April 2026:
Paternity Leave and Unpaid Parental Leave
- Paternity Leave – it is proposed that paternity leave will become a “day-one right”. This means employees will be able to provide notice to take leave from the first day of their new employment, without the need to meet minimum service requirement.
- Unpaid Parental Leave – currently, employees must have at least one year’s service to qualify for parental leave. It is expected that the government will remove this qualifying barrier, thus allowing eligible employees to take unpaid parental leave from day one of their employment.
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
The bill proposes the following:
- Removing the lower earnings threshold, meaning more employees will be eligible for SSP.
- Removing the “waiting days” rule – currently SSP is payable from the fourth day of absence (unless absences are linked). From April 2026, it is proposed that SSP will be payable from the first day of sickness absence.
Sexual Harassment
Under the proposed legislation:
- Disclosure that are made in relation to sexual harassment – including any that have occurred, or is occurring or likely to occur, will qualify as a “protected disclosure”.
- As with any qualifying disclosures, the disclosure does not need to be proven, but the individual must hold a reasonable belief that is true.
- This means that employees making a qualifying disclosure will be protected from suffering a detriment or dismissal, and any dismissal under these circumstances will be considered automatically unfair.
Collective Consultation
- The bill is expected to propose an increase to the current maximum award that a tribunal can award where a business failed to follow its obligations in regard to collective consultation.
- The maximum award is expected to double, increasing from 90 days’ pay to 180 days’ pay.
Final Note
The above proposals form part of the wider “Employments Right Bill” that are designed to modernise the UK employment protections and practices. Further changes are being proposed for 2027, including the introduction of day-one right to protection from unfair dismissal.
As with any reforms, although the government has provided provisional dates, the legislation have not yet been enacted. Employer should continue to monitor updates and seek professional advice prior to making any contractual or policy changes.
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