Royal Ascent

Measures that are expected to take effect at the Bill's Royal Assent or soon afterwards include:

• Protections against dismissal for taking industrial action.
• Simplifying industrial action notices and industrial action ballot notices.
• Repeal of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023.
• Repeal of the majority of the Trade Union Act 2016 (some provisions will be repealed via commencement order at a later date).
• Removing the 10-year ballot requirement for trade union political funds.

April 2026

• Statutory Sick Pay – removal of the Lower Earnings Limit and waiting period.
• 'Day 1' Paternity Leave and Unpaid Parental Leave.
• Whistleblowing protection.
• Establishment of the Fair Work Agency.
• Collective redundancy protective award – doubling the maximum period of the protective award.
• Simplifying trade union recognition process.
• Electronic and workplace balloting.

Gender pay gap and menopause action plans will also be introduced on a voluntary basis, with mandation planned from 2027.

October 2026

• Fire and rehire measures.
• Requirement for employers to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of their employees.
• Obligation on employers not to permit the harassment of their employees by third parties.
• Bringing forward regulations to establish the Fair Pay Agreement Adult Social Care Negotiating Body.
• Tightening tipping law.
• Duty to inform workers of their right to join a trade union.
• Strengthen trade unions' right of access.
• New rights and protections for trade union representatives.
• Employment tribunal time limits.
• Extending protections against detriments for taking industrial action.

2027

• Flexible working.
• Bereavement leave.
• Changes to use of Zero-Hours Contracts and applying Zero-Hour Contracts measures to agency workers.
• Day-1 right to protection from unfair dismissal.
• Rights for pregnant workers.
• Regulation of umbrella companies 10.
• Gender pay gap and menopause action plans (introduced on a voluntary basis in April 2026).
• Collective redundancy – collective consultation threshold.
• Industrial relations framework.
• Blacklisting.

The government also plans to introduce a power to enable regulations to specify steps that are to be regarded as “reasonable”, to determine whether an employer has taken all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment.