The Act received Royal Assent in December 2025 and almost none of it came into force then. It is being commenced in phases, which means the answer to “has the law changed?” is a date-by-date question rather than a yes or no.
The two that matter most at senior level
Both are about what happens when a job ends, which is the part of employment law a well-paid employee is most likely to meet.
Tribunal time limits — already in force
From 1 October 2026, the time limit for bringing most employment tribunal claims is six months rather than three. In Scotland the change takes effect on 9 November 2026.
Unfair dismissal — from 1 January 2027
The qualifying period for ordinary unfair dismissal protection falls from two years to six months, for dismissals from 1 January 2027, and the cap on compensatory awards is removed.
The qualifying period is the length of continuous employment needed before the protection applies at all. It has never applied to every ground: dismissal for a discriminatory reason, or for whistleblowing, requires no qualifying period and did not before this change.
The full timetable
From the government’s published roadmap, last updated 25 September 2026. Measures without a confirmed commencement date are marked as announced.
| Date | Status | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 6 April 2026 | In force | Statutory sick pay from day one; day-one paternity and unpaid parental leave The lower earnings limit and the three-day waiting period for SSP were removed, and paternity and unpaid parental leave became day-one entitlements. Bereaved partners’ paternity leave extended to 52 weeks. |
| 6 April 2026 | In force | Collective redundancy protective award doubled The maximum protective award for a failure to consult collectively was doubled. |
| 7 April 2026 | In force | Fair Work Agency established |
| 1 October 2026 | In force | Employment tribunal time limits doubled from 3 months to 6 The limit for bringing most claims rose from three months to six. The equivalent change in Scotland follows on 9 November 2026. |
| 30 October 2026 | Confirmed | “All reasonable steps” duty to prevent sexual harassment, and third-party harassment protection The preventative duty on employers is raised to taking all reasonable steps, and protection extends to harassment by third parties such as clients and customers. |
| 1 January 2027 | Confirmed | Unfair dismissal qualifying period cut from 2 years to 6 months, and compensatory awards uncapped The government’s timeline states: “reduction of unfair dismissal qualifying period to 6 months, for dismissals from 1 January 2027, and uncapping compensatory awards”. The qualifying period is the length of continuous employment required before ordinary unfair dismissal protection applies; some grounds, including discrimination and whistleblowing, require no qualifying period at any time. |
| 1 January 2027 | Confirmed | Fire-and-rehire protections, and a duty to inform workers of the right to join a union |
| During 2027 | Announced | Flexible working, guaranteed hours and reasonable notice of shifts Placed in 2027 without a confirmed date. The guaranteed-hours and reasonable-notice measures are marked “timings will be updated after consultation”. |
| During 2027 | Announced | Mandatory gender equality and menopause action plans; enhanced pregnancy protections; umbrella company regulation Announced for 2027 without confirmed commencement dates. |
One thing we have left out
Secondary coverage of the unfair dismissal change has reported that it applies retrospectively, so that anyone starting a job from 1 July 2026 acquires the protection when the change commences. We could not find that in the government’s own roadmap, so it is not on this page. It may well be right — but a date that cannot be traced to a primary source is not a date we will publish.
Sources
This page was last read against the primary sources on 6 October 2026. A commencement timetable is exactly the kind of page that goes stale; if you are reading this much later, check the roadmap directly.
- · gov.uk — Plan to Make Work Pay and Employment Rights Act: timeline update
- · Employment Rights Act 2025
- · gov.uk — Employment Rights Act 2025 factsheets
- · gov.uk — Dismissal: your rights
The guide · Flexible working: the right to request · What a job advert may not say