Employment Law Changes In April 2026

It’s that time of year when employment law changes traditionally take effect, and this year we’re expecting more than usual thanks to the introduction of the Employment Rights Act 2025.

With so many developments on the horizon, here’s our summary of the most important changes that are taking effect in Great Britain (GB) next month.

While most of these changes will apply only in GB, some changes are also relevant to Northern Ireland (NI). We have highlighted where this is the case, or where other similar changes are expected under Northern Irish employment reforms.

Increases to statutory rates

From 1 April 2026, we will see increases to the National Minimum Wage. These are as follows:

• the National Living Wage (NLW) will increase from £12.21 to £12.71 per hour;