Employment Rights Act 2025 - A Roundup of the October 2026 Changes

Introduction

The Employment Rights Bill proved to be a contentious item, with several months of 'ping pong' between the House of Commons and the House of Lords. However, on 18 December 2025 it received Royal Assent and we now have the Employment Rights Act 2025.

This Act contains major change to employment law. The first changes have come into force, with more changes due in 2027. In this webinar we will work through everything that has changed, and everything that is going to change. We will work through the content in the order that it is being implemented, giving guidance on how you need to respond to the changes.

What You Will Learn

This webinar will cover the following:

• Changes made throughout 2026, up to and including October 2026
• Harassment in the workplace:
• Sexual harassment
• Third-party harassment, and how to do the risk assessments
• Trade union changes:
• Right of access and telling employees they can join a trade union
• Giving accommodation and facilities to reps, that they need to do their roles
• Other changes relating to trade unions
• Further changes due in 2026
• The changes happening in 2027, including unfair dismissal being a right after six months' service
• Practical tips about what you need to do to prepare for those changes