A Comprehensive Guide to Preparing for Upcoming UK Employment Law Reforms

New employment law changes are expected in the upcoming months, which means now is the ideal time for HR teams to start preparing. From new day-one rights to improved workplace protections and updated dismissal rules, the changes could affect everything from onboarding to how performance and conduct issues are handled.

HR teams need to focus on reducing risk, staying compliant and keeping their hiring processes running smoothly.

This blog outlines the key changes to look out for and offers practical steps to help your team stay ahead. We’ll also look at how RefNow’s compliance tools and automated referencing can help reduce legal risks and streamline preparation.

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What’s Changing – And When?

On 1st July 2025, the UK Government unveiled its comprehensive roadmap setting out how it will deliver its new package of workers’ rights through the plan to Make Work Pay. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: “These landmark reforms will kick in within months, demonstrating our commitment to making work pay for millions of workers across the country and delivering real change.”

According to the roadmap, the new measures will be introduced in four phases, giving employers time to prepare for each stage of change. The key changes are listed below.

As soon as (or shortly after) the Bill becomes law:

• Repeal of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 and most of the Trade Union Act 2016
• Protections against dismissal for taking industrial action

April 2026:

• Doubling the maximum period of the protective award for collective redundancies
• Paternity and unpaid parental leave from ‘day 1’ of employment
• Enhanced whistleblowing protections
• Establishment of the ‘Fair Work Agency’
• Removal of the waiting period and the Lower Earning Limit for Statutory Sick Pay
• Voluntary gender pay gap and menopause action plans

October 2026:

• Effective ‘fire and rehire’ ban
• Duty for employers to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment
• Extended Employment Tribunal time limits
• Increased trade union rights

2027:

• Protection from unfair dismissal from ‘day 1’ of employment
• Mandatory gender pay gap and menopause action plans
• Enhanced dismissal protections for pregnant women and new mothers
• Increased access to flexible working
• Expanded bereavement leave
• Protections against exploitative zero-hours contracts

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How HR Teams Can Start Preparing

With a clear roadmap to focus on, HR teams have a fair amount of time to prepare. A good place to start is by reviewing your existing policies and contracts, particularly around sickness, parental leave and dismissal procedures. Make sure your documentation reflects the current law but is flexible enough to adapt when the new rules come in.

Be sure to also identify any training gaps. Line managers will need support in understanding the new obligations, especially around harassment prevention and early employee rights. Now is also a good time to review your hiring and onboarding processes to ensure they remain compliant as these changes begin.

For larger businesses, it’s also worth preparing for longer-term measures such as the mandatory gender pay gap and menopause action plans expected in 2027. Start thinking about how data can be collected ahead of the publishing of action plans being made compulsory. You should also check that your internal systems (such as those calculating statutory sick pay entitlement) can be updated in line with the new rules, so everything runs smoothly once the changes take effect.

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even with a clear roadmap, businesses that don’t do effective preparation may still find themselves scrambling as the changes come into effect. Here are a few mistakes to watch out for:

• Delaying internal reviews - waiting until 2026 means you’ll have less time for sorting updates and staff training. The sooner you start, the less work you will have further down the line.
  
• Focusing only on policy and ignoring the process - written policies matter, but day-to-day practices are just as important, especially when it comes to areas such as dismissal and harassment prevention.
  
• Overlooking audit trails - without proper documentation, you may struggle to prove compliance later. Automating key steps like reference checking will help to protect your organisation should any issues arise.

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How RefNow Helps You Stay Compliant

With big employment law updates coming, HR teams need to make sure their hiring processes are both compliant and efficient. One area that often slows things down and risks legal implications if not done properly is reference checking.

RefNow automates reference checks, cutting the time spent on admin by up to 95% and helping teams to stay ahead of the changing regulations. Our platform ensures every reference is secure and fully GDPR-compliant, reducing your legal risk whilst also improving the candidate experience.

Here’s a quick look at how we support HR teams to prepare for the new employment law landscape:

• References completed within 36 hours (on average)
  
• Fraud protection is built in, including fake reference detection 
  
• Supports HR compliance by maintaining accurate records and audit trails to help manage probation evaluations fairly and transparently
  
• User-friendly dashboard that tracks progress and keeps everything in one place
  
• Mobile-friendly and accessible, with automated reminders to referees
  
• Optional DBS and Right to Work checks included

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Final Thoughts

With the most significant employment law reforms in years on the way, now is the time for HR teams to act.

Preparing early means fewer risks and a smoother transition when the new rules take effect. Whether it’s updating your processes, training your team or reviewing your onboarding systems, small steps taken now will help avoid costly problems further down the line. 

RefNow can reduce legal risks and streamline preparation by taking the stress out of reference checks - one of the most time-consuming and risky parts of hiring. With secure and compliant onboarding checks, including full audit trails throughout, your HR team can focus on building a fair workplace whilst we handle the rest.