April 2026 Employment Law Changes: Are You Ready?
April 2026 brings a set of employment law changes that directly impact HR operations, affecting onboarding, absence management, employee relations and workforce planning. As key provisions under the Employment Rights Act 2025 come into force, alongside associated statutory updates, employment rights will arise earlier, risks will crystallise faster and line manager decisions are going to […]
Govt Confirms April Employment Law Changes in New Regulations
The Government has published commencement regulations bringing a number of provisions under the Employment Rights Act 2025 into force from April 2026. While not a full implementation of the Act, the changes coming into effect next month introduce immediate compliance obligations and increase exposure across several core employment risk areas. The Employment Rights Act 2025 […]
Fair Work Agency Advisory Board Appointed Ahead of April Launch
The government has confirmed the appointment of the inaugural Advisory Board for the new Fair Work Agency, ahead of its formal launch on 7 April 2026. The appointments mark a key step in the rollout of a centralised labour market enforcement body, bringing together multiple existing enforcement functions under a single structure. A new […]
Bereaved Partner’s Paternity Leave Confirmed from April 2026
Legislation has now been published confirming the introduction of Bereaved Partner’s Paternity Leave, a new statutory right that will take effect from 6 April 2026. The measure forms part of a broader package of family-related employment law reforms and is intended to address a gap in protection for employees who lose a partner shortly after […]
New £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for Employers
The government has announced a £1 billion youth employment package aimed at tackling rising levels of economic inactivity among 16 to 24-year-olds. Headline measures include a £3,000 payment to employers hiring certain young people, expanded subsidised job placements and changes to the apprenticeship system. While positioned as a major employment drive, the practical impact for […]
Home Office Sponsor Guidance Updated March 2026
The Home Office has updated the official sponsor guidance, introducing tighter compliance expectations for employers that hold a sponsor licence. The changes sit alongside recent Immigration Rules amendments and reflect a more interventionist approach to enforcement, with greater scrutiny of how organisations manage sponsored workers in practice. For HR teams and employers, the update affects […]
Employment Rights Act Reforms Could Increase Tribunal Claims
Forthcoming employment law reforms could lead to a rise in workplace disputes reaching the employment tribunal system, at a time when the courts already face significant caseload pressure, according to legal analysts. The concerns relate to the wider programme of employment reforms linked to the Employment Rights Act, which is being implemented through phased legislative […]
New “Two-Tier Workforce” Rules Planned for Public Sector Contracts
The UK government, alongside the Scottish and Welsh governments, is preparing a new regulatory framework aimed at preventing the emergence of “two-tier workforces” in outsourced public services. The reforms are expected to be implemented under powers contained in the Employment Rights Act 2025 and are currently anticipated to take effect from October 2026. The measures […]
Gender Pay Gap & Menopause Policies: New Employer Duties Proposed
The UK government has announced new employer action plans designed to strengthen the existing gender pay gap reporting framework. The initiative forms part of the wider employment reforms linked to the Employment Rights Act 2025 and the government’s “Make Work Pay” programme. While the current system focuses on publishing pay data, the new framework is […]
Statutory Maternity Pay Evidence Rules Updated from April 2026
The government has introduced a small update to the rules governing evidence of pregnancy for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) and Maternity Allowance (MA) under the Social Security and Statutory Maternity Pay (Evidence of Pregnancy and Compensation of Employers) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/201). The Regulations amend several existing statutory instruments that govern how pregnancy is […]