Today’s the day: employment law has changed
As of today, 1 October 2026, the Employment Rights Act 2025 has entered a new phase, and both employers and employees need to know about it.
Six months, not three. The deadline for bringing most employment tribunal claims doubles from three months to six. Workers get more time to take advice. Employers face claims for longer.
Harassment: no more excuses. Employers will soon have to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment at work, and the new protections extend to harassment by customers and other third parties. Now is the time to review policies, training and reporting channels.
Coming 1 January 2027:
- Unfair dismissal protection after just six months’ service, down from two years
- No cap on unfair dismissal compensation
- Fire and rehire becomes automatically unfair in most cases
- Employers must tell workers about their right to join a trade union
Anyone hired since late June 2026 will be protected from 1 January. Review your hiring, probation and exit processes now.
See more at Acas guide.
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