The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces 30 employment law reforms across more than 330 pages of legislation, rolled out in stages from April 2026 through to 2027.
This webinar walks UK employers through what changed in April 2026, what is coming in October 2026 and January 2027, and the practical steps to take now to stay compliant.
The question is not whether the Employment Rights Act 2025 affects your business — it does. The question is whether your contracts, policies, and processes are ready.
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| Chapters | |
|---|---|
| 00:00 | Introduction |
| 04:00 | Overview of the Act and rollout time |
| 06:30 | Unfair dismissal — what’s changing |
| 08:30 | Worked examples: John and Janet probation scenarios |
| 13:30 | Recruitment practices and scoring systems |
| 22:00 | Statutory Sick Pay changes |
| 25:30 | Return-to-work interviews |
| 31:30 | The Fair Work Agency – powers and penalties |
| 36:30 | Third-party harassment and the ‘all reasonable steps’ defence |
| 44:00 | Zero-hours contract changes |
| 49:00 | Flexible working — the eight statutory grounds |
| 52:00 | How Citation supports employees |
| 58:00 | Q&A |
Key takeaways
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| When does the Act take effect? | In three stages: 8 changes in April 2026, 8 in October 2026, 12 in January 2027. |
| What is changing about unfair dismissal? | Service requirement drops from 2 years to 6 months from 1 Jan 2027; compensation cap removed. |
| What are the new SSP rules? | SSP applies from day one of absence; the Lower Earnings Limit no longer applies. |
| Who is the Fair Work Agency? | New state enforcement body launched 7 April 2026; penalties up to 200% of sums due (capped £20k/worker). |
| What is the third-party harassment duty? | From Oct 2026, employers must take ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent harassment by third parties. |
| What is changing for zero-hours contracts? | Service requirement drops from 2 years to 6 months from 1 Jan 2027; compensation cap removed. |
Inside the session:
Unfair dismissal, SSP, the Fair Work Agency and more
The Employment Rights Act 2025 is rewriting some of the basics of managing your workforce, and the unfair dismissal qualifying period is the change hitting hardest and soonest. From 1 January 2027, the qualifying period drops from 2 years’ service to 6 months, and it applies to anyone already on your payroll, not just new hires. Citation’s Flora Neville, uses two worked probation scenarios to show exactly where this catches employers out.
- Scenario 2: probation extended for sickness absence
An employee starts a 6-month probation on 7 July 2026 and is dismissed with pay in lieu of notice on 2 January 2027. Statutory notice adds a week’s service, so they pass the 6-month threshold and can bring an unfair dismissal claim, even though the probation looked like it had ended cleanly.
- Scenario 2: probation extended for sickness absence
An employee starts a 6-month probation on 7 July 2026 and is dismissed with pay in lieu of notice on 2 January 2027. Statutory notice adds a week’s service, so they pass the 6-month threshold and can bring an unfair dismissal claim, even though the probation looked like it had ended cleanly.
- The Fair Work Agency
An employee starts a 6-month probation on 7 July 2026 and is dismissed with pay in lieu of notice on 2 January 2027. Statutory notice adds a week’s service, so they pass the 6-month threshold and can bring an unfair dismissal claim, even though the probation looked like it had ended cleanly.
- Statutory Sick Pay changes
An employee starts a 6-month probation on 7 July 2026 and is dismissed with pay in lieu of notice on 2 January 2027. Statutory notice adds a week’s service, so they pass the 6-month threshold and can bring an unfair dismissal claim, even though the probation looked like it had ended cleanly.
- Third-party harassment
An employee starts a 6-month probation on 7 July 2026 and is dismissed with pay in lieu of notice on 2 January 2027. Statutory notice adds a week’s service, so they pass the 6-month threshold and can bring an unfair dismissal claim, even though the probation looked like it had ended cleanly.
- Zero-hours contracts
An employee starts a 6-month probation on 7 July 2026 and is dismissed with pay in lieu of notice on 2 January 2027. Statutory notice adds a week’s service, so they pass the 6-month threshold and can bring an unfair dismissal claim, even though the probation looked like it had ended cleanly.
- Advice for employers
An employee starts a 6-month probation on 7 July 2026 and is dismissed with pay in lieu of notice on 2 January 2027. Statutory notice adds a week’s service, so they pass the 6-month threshold and can bring an unfair dismissal claim, even though the probation looked like it had ended cleanly.
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