The UK employment law landscape is undergoing significant change. At the end of 2025, the government introduced a new Budget and passed the Employment Rights Act 2025. Over the next two years, a series of reforms will strengthen employee protections, expand family-friendly rights, and place new compliance obligations on employers. For Legal Secretaries and those supporting HR teams, understanding these developments is essential.

Below is a practical overview of the most important employment law updates and what they mean in day-to-day legal practice.

Strengthened Unfair Dismissal Rights

One of the most notable reforms is the expansion of unfair dismissal protection.

- The qualifying period to bring an unfair dismissal claim is being reduced, meaning employees will gain protection much earlier in their employment.

- Compensation limits for unfair dismissal are expected to increase or be removed, giving tribunals greater discretion when awarding damages.

What this means in practice: Employment contracts, probationary procedures, and dismissal processes will need closer scrutiny. Legal Secretaries may see an increase in early-stage dismissal queries and tribunal preparation work.

Expanded Family-Friendly and Carer Rights

Family-related workplace rights are being significantly enhanced:

- Day-one rights for certain types of leave, including paternity leave and unpaid parental leave.

- Broader eligibility for unpaid parental leave, allowing more working parents to balance employment and caring responsibilities.

- Introduction of additional bereavement leave protections.

Practical impact: Firms will need updated template policies and contracts. Legal Secretaries may be asked to assist with policy amendments, staff handbooks, and client guidance notes.

Statutory Sick Pay Reforms

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is also changing:

- More lower-paid workers will qualify for SSP.

- SSP may become payable from the first day of sickness absence, rather than after a waiting period.

Why this matters: These changes affect payroll practices, sickness policies, and absence management procedures.

Greater Protection for Zero-Hours and Insecure Workers

New rules aim to improve security for workers on variable or zero-hours contracts:

- Workers may gain the right to request guaranteed hours based on their actual working patterns.

- Employers will need to provide reasonable notice of shifts.

- Compensation may be required for shifts cancelled at short notice.

Legal support considerations: Contract drafting and compliance checks will become increasingly important.

Trade Union and Industrial Action Changes

- Reforms in this area strengthen protections for employees involved in lawful industrial action, including changes to dismissal protections and procedural rules.

For legal teams: Advisory work around industrial relations, strikes, and workplace disputes is likely to increase, requiring careful document handling and procedural accuracy.

Enhanced Whistleblowing Protections

- Whistleblowing law is being clarified and expanded so that a wider range of workplace complaints, including certain harassment and misconduct issues, may qualify for protection.

What Legal Secretaries should expect: Updates to whistleblowing policies, increased sensitivity around disclosures, and greater emphasis on confidentiality and record-keeping.

Phased Implementation

Most changes will be introduced gradually through secondary legislation during 2026 and 2027, with the first wave taking effect in April 2026. There is no single “go-live” date. Employers, and the legal professionals advising them, must track implementation timelines carefully.

These employment law updates represent one of the most substantial shifts in workplace rights in decades. Staying informed will be essential to supporting Solicitors, HR professionals, and clients effectively as the reforms continue to take shape.