Employment Rights Act 2025: Key Dates UK Employers Need to Know

Further details about the timetable for implementation of key provisions of the  Employment Rights Act 2025 have been confirmed, and for employers across the UK, the countdown is now on. The Department for Business and Trade has published updated implementation dates and guidance (New employment rights: Guidance for businesses and workers) for several major changes occurring in the next few months.  

Understanding these Employment Rights Act 2025 key dates nowgives you time to review policies, update contracts and get HR processes in shape before the changes take effect in the Autumn.

Employment Rights Act 2025 Timeline Summary: All the dates at a glance

• 25 August 2026: Electronic balloting for trade unions begins
• 1 October 2026: Employment tribunal time limits are set to extend from three to six months 
• 30 October 2026: The largest package of changes takes effect, including new sexual harassment prevention duties and trade union rights
• End of 2026: Tipping law reform (delayed from October)
• January 2027 (date not yet confirmed): Unfair dismissal qualifying period, compensatory award cap removal, and fire and rehire protections

25 August 2026: Electronic Balloting Begins

First up, Trade unions will be able to run workplace ballots electronically. This makes industrial action ballots quicker and easier to organise, so it's worth being aware of if your workplace is unionised. 

1 October 2026: Employment Tribunal time limits extended to six months

This is a change that affects almost every employer. From 1 October 2026, the time limit for bringing most employment tribunal claims is doubling, from three months to six.

What does that mean in practice? Employees will have longer to bring a claim after a dispute arises. For employers, that means:

• Longer periods where potential claims could be filed
• More importance placed on clear, well-documented HR processes
• Extra care needed when handling grievances, dismissals and disciplinary matters, since the paper trail may need to hold up much later down the line

A quick note about a curious detail for businesses operating in Scotland: for breach of contract claims specifically, the date currently being quoted is 9 November rather than 1 October. 

30 October 2026: New sexual harassment duties and Trade Union rights

This date is important. A significant package of Employment Rights Act 2025 changes is set to come into force on 30 October 2026, including:

• A new duty to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment. This raises the bar from the previous "reasonable steps" standard, and employers will need to be able to demonstrate proactive prevention, not just a policy on paper.
• Employer liability for harassment of staff by third parties. This closes a gap in the law, meaning employers could be held responsible for harassment of their staff by customers, clients or other third parties, not just colleagues.
• A duty to inform workers of their right to join a trade union.
• A new right of union access to workplaces. This is a substantial shift in industrial relations and one that's likely to have a real, practical impact on day-to-day workplace management.
• Further union-related changes, including freezing the bargaining unit once a recognition application has been submitted, new rights for union representatives, and protection against detriment for taking industrial action.

Taken together, this is one of the most significant single-day shifts in employment law in recent years. If you haven't already reviewed your policies around harassment prevention and third-party conduct, now is the time.

Tipping Reform: Delayed to later in 2026

Reform to tipping law, originally pencilled in for October, has now slipped to the end of 2026. If this affects your business, it's one less immediate priority, but not one to forget entirely.

Looking ahead to January 2027

Further down the line, several bigger changes remain expected for January 2027, including:

• The introduction of a six-month qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims (down from the current two years)
• Removal of the compensatory award cap for unfair dismissal
• New fire and rehire protections

These are all still expected to take effect on 1 January 2027. 

What should employers be doing now?

With several changes landing within weeks of each other this autumn, preparation matters more than reaction. Employers should be:

• Reviewing anti-harassment policies, with a particular focus on third-party conduct and prevention measures
• Making sure HR processes and documentation are robust enough to stand up to claims brought much later than employees can currently bring them
• Keeping an eye on union-related obligations if your workplace has any union presence or recognition activity
• Watching for further updates and changes. 

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the Employment Rights Act 2025 come into force? The changes are being introduced in stages. Electronic balloting starts 31 August 2026, extended tribunal time limits are in place  from 1 October 2026, and the largest package of changes, including new harassment prevention duties and trade union rights, is set for 30 October 2026. Further changes, including to unfair dismissal rules, are expected in January 2027.

How long will employees have to bring a tribunal claim from October 2026? Most employment tribunal claims are expected to have their time limit extended from three months to six months, starting 1 October 2026.  The Employment Tribunal (Extension of Time Limits) (Miscellaneous Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2026

What is the new duty to prevent sexual harassment at work? From 30 October 2026, employers will have a duty to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, a higher standard than the current requirement, alongside new liability for harassment of staff by third parties such as customers or clients.

Employment law is moving quickly at the moment, and it's easy to feel like you're playing catch-up. That's exactly where we come in.

If we can help, we will.

Get in touch with our Employment Law team to talk through what these changes mean for your business.

Disclaimer: This summary is for general awareness and insight, not legal or professional advice and readers should seek professional advice for their situation.