ARTICLE · 18 FEBRUARY 2026

Employment Rights Act 2025: Key Changes From April 2026

Rothera Bray

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The much-debated Employment Rights Act 2025 finally passed in December 2025, and a number of employment law changes are expected over the next two years.

United KingdomEmployment and HR

George Cokkinos

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The much-debated Employment Rights Act 2025 finally passed in December 2025, and a number of employment law changes are expected over the next two years.

George Cokkinos, Solicitor in the Employment Law team, examines the changes due to come into force from April 2026.

Family friendly rights

The first change to come into effect is that paternity leave and ordinary parental leave will become a 'day-one right' from 6 April 2026, meaning employees no longer need a qualifying period of service to be eligible.

From 18 February 2026, eligible employees can give notice of their intention to take either leave — this reflects a temporary reduction in the usual notice period requirements.

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