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ARTICLE · 09 NOVEMBER 2026

The Employment Rights Act 2025: October 2026 Changes

Brodies LLP
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The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces significant workplace reforms taking effect in October 2026, fundamentally changing how employers must handle tribunal claims, prevent harassment, and engage with trade unions. These changes extend time limits for employment disputes, impose stricter obligations on preventing sexual harassment including from third parties, and grant trade unions unprecedented access rights to workplaces for organizing and recruitment activities.

United KingdomEmployment and HR
Julie Keir
Julie Keir

A number of important reforms under the Employment Rights Act 2025 come into force in October 2026, including extended time limits for bringing employment tribunal claims, an obligation to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment and a new right of access to workplaces for trade unions.

Tribunal time limits: 1 October 2026

Employment tribunal time-limits were extended from three to six months from 1 October 2026. For breach of contract claims in Scotland this change will take effect from 9 November 2026.

Ensure that relevant staff are aware of the change and that any process in place for diarising end of time-limits is adjusted. Audit record keeping and retention policies to ensure you retain information that may be required to defend claims. For key staff who make employment decisions, consider including a contractual duty to co-operate with tribunal claims after employment ends.

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