Guides › Work and Employment › Employment Rights Act 2025: What Changes and When
Employment Rights Act 2025: What Changes and When
The Employment Rights Act 2025 is changing workers' rights in stages. Several changes are already in force, including the 6 month time limit for most tribunal claims from 1 October 2026. The biggest change still to come is the unfair dismissal qualifying period dropping from 2 years to 6 months on 1 January 2027. We list only the dates confirmed on official pages.
At A Glance
Your Rights
What the rules say, with a link to the official source for each.
Key Dates
April 2026
The Fair Work Agency was set up as a single place for help with employment rights, starting with minimum wage, agency worker and gangmaster enforcement. Holiday pay and sick pay enforcement are due to follow. source
Paternity Leave
Paternity Leave can now be taken from the first day of employment. source
1 October 2026
The time limit for most employment tribunal claims went from three months to six months minus one day. source
1 January 2027
The qualifying period for ordinary unfair dismissal drops from 2 years to 6 months, the right to written reasons also drops to 6 months, and the cap on compensatory awards is due to be removed. source
Time Limits to Know
Miss a deadline and you can lose a right. Check the dates on your own paperwork.
- 1 January 2027Unfair dismissal after 6 monthsFor dismissals with an end date from this day
Steps to Take
Step 1 of 3
Check which date applies to your problem.
Step 2 of 3
For a dispute now, use our tribunal deadline checker.
Step 3 of 3
Keep an eye on GOV.UK for further dates.
(Tap the numbers to reveal steps)
Where to Go If It Is Not Put Right
Your options, in order, and when each one applies.
Employment changes (business.gov.uk)
The government's official summary for employees.
Acas Helpline
Free and confidential. 0300 123 1100, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
Good to Know
Small things that make your complaint stronger.
Other planned changes, such as rules on zero hours contracts, will start later. We will add them once official dates are confirmed.
Rules here are for England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has its own employment law, the Labour Relations Agency and industrial tribunals; see nidirect.
Want Help?
If you would like one of our team to look at your problem, our initial case review is free. We cannot guarantee any outcome and we do not give legal advice.
Lead reviewer
Luke Marley
Founder and Lead Reviewer
Luke founded CPUK in 2026 after seeing how hard it is for ordinary people to get problems with companies put right. He oversees our guides and checks them against official sources.
Research by Katie Burt, Co-founder and Operations Lead (17 years in the care sector, including managing services for vulnerable adults), and the CPUK Research Team. Researched with AI-assisted research tools, then checked and corrected by our team.
Last checked: 15 October 2026. We are not paid by the companies we write about. Adverts never affect our guidance. Read our editorial policy.
Sources and official links
- assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/696126a5d6532b76df7dcd75/fair-work-agency-factsheet.pdf Checked 15 October 2026
- gov.uk/paternity-pay-leave/eligibility Checked 15 October 2026
- business.gov.uk/campaign/employment-changes/employee/unfair-dismissal-rights Checked 15 October 2026
- acas.org.uk/contact Checked 8 October 2026