There are some important updates to employment law coming into effect this year, following the Employment Rights Act 2025.
While the legislation itself is quite detailed, the key takeaway is simple – there’s a much stronger focus on protecting employees and preventing issues before they happen, particularly around sexual harassment.
Here’s a straightforward breakdown of what’s changing and what it means in practice.
From April 2026
Sexual harassment and whistleblowing
From April, sexual harassment will be clearly recognised under whistleblowing rules.
In practice, this means:
- Employees can report sexual harassment and be protected under whistleblowing law
- They’re protected from unfair treatment or dismissal for speaking up
- It removes any grey areas around whether these concerns qualify
This is about making it easier and safer for people to raise concerns.
Other changes starting from April
There are also some wider reforms coming at the same time, including:
- Changes to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) eligibility
- Stronger enforcement of employment rights
- A new Fair Work Agency to oversee compliance
These changes aim to put greater accountability on employers.
Later this year
A more proactive approach to preventing harassment
From October, employers will be expected to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment, not just deal with it after the fact.
That includes things like:
- Keeping policies up to date
- Providing regular training
- Making sure reporting processes are clear and accessible
The expectation is shifting from reactive to proactive.
Broader responsibility
There will also be clearer expectations around:
- Preventing harassment involving third parties such as clients and visitors.
- Creating a workplace culture where issues are addressed early
More time to raise claims
The time limit for bringing a tribunal claim is set to increase from 3 months to 6 months. This gives individuals more time to come forward and reinforces the need for strong internal processes.
What this means for businesses
In short, this is not just about updating policies. This changes how organisations operate day to day.
If you haven’t already, you should:
- Review your policies and ensure they algin with the new legislation
- Make sure managers understand their responsibility in preventing harassment
- Check that employees know how to raise concerns
- Focus on prevention and culture rather than just compliance
Getting ahead of these changes now will put you in a far stronger position as further reforms roll out.
