UK Sets 30 October 2026 Start for Harassment, Union Reforms as Pay Transparency Consultation Opens
Updated
Updated · Lewis Silkin · Jul 21
UK Sets 30 October 2026 Start for Harassment, Union Reforms as Pay Transparency Consultation Opens
3 articles · Updated · Lewis Silkin · Jul 21
Summary
The 16 July timetable update fixes 30 October 2026 as the start date for stronger workplace sexual-harassment duties, third-party harassment liability and several trade-union reforms under the Employment Rights Act.
Those October changes will require employers to take “all” reasonable steps against harassment, while union access rights, new ballot unfair-practice rules and duties to notify workers of union rights also come into force that day.
Other dates have shifted: the ban on key “fire and rehire” practices moves to January 2027 from October 2026, tipping reforms are delayed to by end-2026, and broader zero-hours and scheduling rights remain slated for 2027.
On pay policy, the government has opened consultations running to 27 October on pay transparency in recruitment and on pay-discrimination enforcement, while ethnicity and disability pay-gap reporting still await a separate Equality Bill.
The update adds detail to the roadmap published after the Act passed on 18 December 2025, giving employers a clearer sequence for one of the UK’s biggest employment-law overhauls in years.
Will Britain's new pro-worker laws boost the economy, or will they ultimately stifle business growth and investment?
How will the new Fair Work Agency actually help ordinary workers enforce their rights against powerful employers?
With uncapped dismissal payouts looming in 2027, how are UK businesses preparing for the unprecedented financial risks?
Transforming UK Workplaces: Key Changes Under the Employment Rights Act 2025 and the Rise of the Fair Work Agency
Overview
The UK government's 'Plan to Make Work Pay' has led to the enactment of the Employment Rights Act 2025, marking the most significant overhaul of employment law in a generation. This dynamic, ongoing reform program gives the government stronger powers to regulate the labour market and delegates key responsibilities to the new Fair Work Agency (FWA), which began operations in April 2026. By streamlining and strengthening the enforcement of employment rights, these changes aim to create a more robust and equitable working environment, ensuring fair treatment and better protections for workers across the country.