April 2026 Employment Law Changes

April 2026 marks one of the most significant waves of UK employment law reform in recent years, driven largely by the implementation of the Employment Rights Act 2025.

For employers and HR professionals, these changes require not only policy updates, but also a proactive approach to workforce planning, compliance, and communication.

So what are the changes?

1. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)

One of the most significant reforms is the overhaul of Statutory Sick Pay.

From 6 April 2026:

• • SSP will payable from day one of an employee’s absence, thereby removing the previous three-day waiting period.
  • Employees no longer need to earn £125 or more per week, known as the “Lower Earnings Limit”. This will be abolished, meaning that all employees, irrespective of their earnings, will be eligible for SSP.

Whilst this will significantly expand eligibility for SSP, employers may also see an increase in short-term absence now that employees will be entitled to SSP for the first day of any period of short-term sickness absence, particularly if their contracts of employment do not provide for enhanced sick pay.

2. Day-One Rights for Family Leave

Paternity leave will become a day-one right with effect from April 2026, meaning that employees no longer need 26 weeks’ service to be eligible.

Unpaid parental leave also becomes a day-one right. Currently, employees require one years’ service in order to be eligible.

Additionally, a new right to Bereaved Partner’s Paternity Leave allows up to 52 weeks’ leave if the mother or primary adopter dies within the first year of the child’s birth/placement.

Employers therefore need to be alive to the fact that employees, including newly recruited employees, will be entitled to these periods of leave from the commencement of their employment.

3. Collective Redundancy

Where an employer proposes to dismiss 20 or more employees by reason of redundancy within a period of 90 days or less, there are certain legal obligations to collectively consult with which they must comply. Failure to do so can lead to claims to an employment tribunal for a protective award of up to 90 days’ gross pay.

With effect from 6 April 2026, for employees dismissed on or after this date, the protective award increases to compensation of up to 180 days’ gross pay.

This significantly increases the financial risk for employers who do not properly and carefully plan for larger redundancy exercises. Engaging in legal assistance at the outset of a redundancy situation and at an early stage is therefore recommended so as to limit this exposure.

4. Expansion of Whistleblowing Protection

Disclosures relating to sexual harassment are now explicitly protected under whistleblowing legislation. This means that allegations and/or concerns raised regarding sexual harassment are now considered a “protected disclosure”, meaning that any detrimental treatment or dismissal in connection with this will give rise to claims under the Employment Rights Act 1996.

5. New Enforcement Body

From 7 April 2026, a new Fair Work Agency will be introduced to strengthen enforcement of employment rights.

Most employment rights are currently enforced by individuals presenting a complaint to an Employment Tribunal.

However, Fair Work Agency is expected to have:-

1. Powers to inspect workplaces and require employers to produce relevant documents and evidence to demonstrate compliance with employment law.
2. Enforcement powers as to the National Minimum Wage including a civil penalty regime (where enforcement officers find that employers have underpaid their workers.

This will inevitably bring about greater scrutiny of compliance with employment legislation and employee rights, which in turn should alert employers to the need for robust internal audits and governance.

Conclusion

What is clear is that these reforms collectively represent a shift towards earlier access to employment rights and stronger enforcement mechanisms.

Employers would therefore be well advised to:-

1. Review contracts of employment in respect of sick pay entitlements where necessary;

2. Conduct a full policy audit, and in particular review policies relating to:-

a. sick pay

b. family leave entitlements and eligibility

c. redundancy

d. whistleblowing and sexual harassment, and ensure harassment and grievance procedures align with whistleblowing protections.

3. Ensure all employees undertake appropriate training on whistleblowing and sexual harassment which is tailored to the employer’s business and particular industry.

4. Ensure all managers are suitably trained as to these changes, including identifying protected disclosures for the purposes of whistleblowing claims.

5. Carry out an audit as to compliance with the National Minimum Wage where appropriate.

With further changes already scheduled for October 2026 and beyond, this is not a one-off adjustment, but the beginning of a broader transformation in UK employment law.