Coming soon

Employment law guide: Fair Work Agency

A new employment law guide on the Fair Work Agency (FWA), which is the single, consolidated body to monitor and enforce core employment rights being set up via the Employment Rights Act 2025. The establishment of the FWA has been confirmed as taking place on 7 April 2026.

Survey analysis and Benchmarking - HR metrics: Pay forecasts 2026

This Brightmine research will shed a light on what organisations are planning for their 2026 pay reviews. It also includes a focus on managing budgets in light of the national insurance contributions; and how organisations are promoting gender equality in reward.

Survey analysis and Benchmarking - HR metrics: Absence rates, management and sick pay

The latest Brightmine research will explore sickness absence rates, sick pay arrangements and the anticipated impact of statutory sick pay (SSP) reforms on organisations and their approach to absence management. Take part in the survey here.

The Employment Rights Act 2025 makes statutory sick pay (SSP) available to all workers. In addition, the Employment Rights Act 2025 removes:

• the requirement to earn at least the lower earnings limit; and
• the three-day waiting period for workers to be entitled to SSP.

The Employment Rights Act 2025 sets the percentage rate for those earning below the current rate of SSP at 80% of normal weekly earnings.

Among the resources that will be updated are:

• Model short-term sickness absence policy
• Model long-term sickness absence policy
• Model sickness and sick pay contract clause
• Suite of model sickness and sick pay letters and forms
• Employment law guide: Statutory sick pay

Once secondary legislation needed to implement changes is published - in the first quarter of 2026 (date TBC).

In the meantime, our Short-term sickness - line manager training now incorporates guidance on conducting return-to-work meetings to help line managers to address short-term sickness absence in advance of the changes to sick pay.

The Employment Rights Act 2025 removes the qualifying periods for paternity leave and ordinary parental leave, making them day-one rights.

The Employment Rights Act 2025 also removes the restriction that prevents parents from taking paternity leave if they have already taken shared parental leave.

Among the resources that will be updated are:

• Ordinary parental leave - line manager training
• Employment law guide: Paternity leave
• Employment law guide: Ordinary parental leave

Our updated model paternity leave policy and updated model ordinary paternity leave policy are now available.

In addition, our Shared parental leave policy (birth) and Shared parental leave policy (adoption) have been updated to reflect the right to take paternity leave after shared parental leave under the Employment Rights Act 2025 (effective from 6 April 2026).

Further updates to follow.

The Employment Rights Act 2025 adds sexual harassment to the list of types of disclosure that qualify for protection under the whistleblowing provisions of the Employment Rights Act 1996.

Among the resources that will be updated are:

• Model whistleblowing policy
• Whistleblowing - line manager training
• Model form to raise whistleblowing concern
• Suite of model whistleblowing letters
• Employment law guide: whistleblowing
• Leading practice guide on supporting whistleblowers: What is whistleblowing?
• Leading practice guide on building a working environment free from harassment and sexual harassment: Reporting procedures

Expected publication

Once secondary legislation needed to implement changes is published - in the first quarter of 2026 (date TBC).

The Employment Rights Act 2025 reforms industrial relations law, including:

• simplification of the union recognition process; and
• a period of 20 working days to agree union access during a statutory recognition process.

Among the resources that will be updated are:

• Model trade union recognition procedure
• Model trade union derecognition procedure
• Model trade union recognition agreement
• Employment law guide: Trade union recognition

Expected publication

Once secondary legislation needed to implement changes is published - in the first quarter of 2026 (date TBC).

The Employment Rights Act 2025 doubles the maximum period of the protective award, which is payable where an employer fails to comply with its redundancy consultation requirements, from 90 to 180 days.

Among the resources that will be updated are:

• Employment law guide: Collective redundancy consultation - duty to consult
• Quick reference: Compensation - collective rights

Expected publication

Once secondary legislation needed to implement changes is published - in the first quarter of 2026 (date TBC).

The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces a requirement for large employers to publish actions plans showing the steps they are taking to address the gender pay gap and support employees going through the menopause.

New How to guide on preparing a gender equality action plan.

The requirement will be introduced in 2027, but voluntary reporting will be available from April 2026.

April 2026.

The Supreme Court has ruled that the legal definition of a woman under the Equality Act 2010 is based on biological sex. While Judge Lord Hodge stated "we counsel against reading this judgment as a triumph of one or more groups in our society at the expense of another", employers may have to rethink their policy towards single-sex spaces in the workplace, such as bathrooms and changing rooms.

The following resources have had interim updates in light of the judgment:

• Transgender and non-binary equality policy

• Supporting an employee who is transitioning action plan
• Leading practice guides on Supporting non-binary and transgender employees

We have provided the following additional commentary and guidance:

• The definition of a woman: The legal meaning and practical implications of the Supreme Court ruling
• Supreme Court ruling and EHRC latest: How should HR respond?

2026

The draft Bereaved Partner's Paternity Leave Regulations 2026 provide an extended period of 52 weeks' statutory paternity leave for employees where the child's mother dies within a year of the child's birth. This will also be available to partners where the main adopters dies within a year of the placement.

Our Bereaved partner's paternity leave policy (draft) is now available.

Further new and updated templates, including policy and forms, will follow. 

Before 31 March 2026.