Employment Rights Act 2026: Every Change for UK Workers Coming Into Force This April

From April 2026, millions of workers across the United Kingdom gain significant new protections under the Employment Rights Act 2025 — one of the most substantial pieces of employment legislation passed in a generation. Whether you are a full-time employee, a part-time worker, or someone in the gig economy, the changes affect you.

Here is every change you need to know, written clearly and without jargon.

Statutory Sick Pay: The Biggest Change for Workers

Until April 2026, the UK's approach to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) had a significant flaw: workers had to be ill for four days before becoming eligible for it. This meant that millions of lower-paid workers — often those with the least financial resilience — had to choose between going into work sick or going three days without any pay.

That changes now.

From 6 April 2026, SSP is payable from the first day of sickness absence, regardless of earnings. The government has also removed the lower earnings limit — meaning workers who earn below the previous threshold now qualify for SSP for the first time.

Parental Leave: Day-One Rights

The Employment Rights Act also transforms parental leave. Previously, workers had to have been with an employer for at least six months before gaining the right to Paternity Leave or Unpaid Parental Leave. Under the new rules, these become day-one rights — entitlements from the first moment of employment.

What Changes for New Parents

• Paternity Leave — new fathers and partners can now take paternity leave from day one in a new job. This closes a significant gap for workers who change employers during or just before a pregnancy.
• Unpaid Parental Leave — similarly becomes a day-one right, allowing parents of children under 18 to take up to 18 weeks of unpaid leave per child.
• Bereaved Partner's Paternity Leave — a new specific entitlement comes into force for partners who have experienced bereavement during or around the time of the birth.

National Minimum Wage: New Rates From April 2026

Alongside the Employment Rights Act changes, the National Minimum Wage rose across all age bands on 1 April 2026. This is the largest single-year increase for workers aged 18–20 in recent history.

The increase means a full-time worker on the National Minimum Wage aged 21 or over now earns approximately £24,778 per year — still below the average UK wage, but a meaningful improvement for the lowest-paid workers in the economy.

Collective Redundancy: Stronger Protections

For workers affected by mass redundancy situations, the Act doubles the maximum protective award — from 90 days' pay to 180 days' pay per affected employee — when employers fail to follow proper consultation processes.

This is a significant increase that gives workers substantially greater protection in situations where an employer is cutting a large number of jobs without following the legal consultation requirements.

The Fair Work Agency: A New Enforcement Body

On 7 April 2026, the Fair Work Agency launched as a new government body bringing together three previously separate enforcement agencies. Its purpose is straightforward: make sure workers' legal rights are actually enforced.

The three bodies now merged into the Fair Work Agency are:

1. The Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate
2. The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority
3. HMRC's National Minimum Wage enforcement unit

The Fair Work Agency will have the power to investigate complaints, impose penalties on employers who breach employment law, and pursue cases on behalf of workers who cannot afford to take their employer to tribunal.

What These Changes Mean in Practice

The combined effect of the April 2026 employment law changes is significant. A low-paid worker in their first week of a new job now has:

• Sick pay if they are ill from day one
• Paternity leave rights if they become a new parent
• A higher minimum wage than existed six months ago
• A new government agency dedicated to enforcing their rights

For the government, these changes represent the delivery of core manifesto commitments on workers' rights. For employers, they represent a need to update contracts, payroll systems, and HR policies.

What Comes Next

The Employment Rights Act 2025 is being implemented in stages. Further provisions — including stronger protections around zero-hours contracts and changes to fire-and-rehire practices — are expected to come into force later in 2026 and into 2027.

Workers and employers alike should monitor government guidance regularly as each new tranche of provisions is activated.

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