With the Employment Rights Act 2025 now gaining momentum, UK employers need to prepare for some significant changes to employment law — particularly around hiring and early-stage employment decisions.

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟:
The qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims reduces from two years to just six months.
Statutory Sick Pay reforms remove the three-day waiting period from April 2026.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞:
Recruitment decisions need to be right first time.
Probationary periods, onboarding, and performance management will come under greater scrutiny.
Policies, contracts, and manager training may need updating sooner rather than later.

The message is clear: employers need to tighten up their hiring process and review their policies, processes and contracts now, not when issues arise.