What should HR teams be thinking about with the new Employments Rights Act?

A recent article from Personnel Today highlights a crucial message for HR leaders: many organisations are underestimating the scale and breadth of the upcoming Employment Rights Act reforms, and the time to prepare is now. 

The article points out that whilst high‑profile changes such as the reduced unfair dismissal qualifying period are on HR’s radar, several other reforms have the potential to significantly reshape day‑to‑day practice. These include stronger trade union rights, new protections around third‑party harassment, and changes to sick pay and dismissal rules. 

Key issues raised in the article include:

• Unfair dismissal reforms – The qualifying period will drop to six months, and compensation caps will be removed, increasing the risk and potential cost of claims.
• Fire and rehire restrictions – New limits will make it automatically unfair to dismiss employees who refuse certain contractual changes, tightening the scope for organisational flexibility.
• Third‑party harassment duties – Employers will have a renewed legal obligation to take all reasonable steps to protect employees, widening exposure if safeguards aren't in place.
• Enhanced union access – Trade unions will gain greater rights to access workplaces even those without existing union presence requiring proactive planning from HR teams. 

What this means for HR

The article’s core message is clear: these changes are interconnected, far‑reaching, and operationally significant. HR teams need to start reviewing policies, training, consultation processes, and workplace culture now to avoid heightened legal risk once the reforms take effect.

For organisations in education where employee relations, workforce change, and safeguarding duties already sit under a complex framework the need for preparation is even more pressing.

Support to help you get ready

To help HR teams understand and plan for the reforms, we’ve created a dedicated Employment Rights Hub packed with guidance, timelines, and practical tools.