Employment Law Changes in the UK

---

 Statutory Sick Pay Changes: 

• Right to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from day one of sickness, rather than day four, and from the start of employment
• Removal of the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) so all eligible employees, regardless of earnings, will have access to SSP
• Employees to be paid SSP at a rate of 80% of their normal weekly earnings, or the flat rate, whichever is lower
• SSP flat rate rises to £123.25 from 6th April

Collective Redundancy Consultation 

• The maximum period of the collective redundancy protective award doubles, so where employers fail to properly consult the potential protective award rises from 90 days’ to 180 days’ pay

Family Leave Changes: 

• Paternity leave becomes a right from day one of employment (removing the 26 weeks’ service requirement)  
• Unpaid parental leave becomes a day-one right (removing the one year's service requirement)
• Bereaved partner’s paternity leave becomes a day one right
• Weekly rates for maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental, parental bereavement, and neonatal care pay increase from £187.18 to £194.32 from 6 April 2026.

Other Legislation & Protections:

• The Government has announced the 2026 increases to the National Minimum Wage, including the National Living Wage. The Government accepted in full the recommendations of the independent Low Pay Commission (LPC) 
• Record-keeping: From 6 April 2026, employers must retain holiday pay and annual leave records for six years.
• More explicit definition of whistleblowing protections for workers who make a disclosure relating to workplace sexual harassment
• The establishment of a new enforcement body, the Fair Work Agency (FWA)
• Voluntary requirement for employers with 250+ employees to publish action plans on gender equality and menopause
• Unions only need to demonstrate that 10% of the workers in the proposed bargaining unit are union members on applications for statutory recognition
• Trade union recognition will be achieved if a simple majority vote in favour in a recognition ballot (removing the requirement that at least 40% of eligible voters back recognition)
• Once a union recognition application is accepted, employers must agree access arrangements with the union upon request, rather than after a ballot has been ordered.