Coming soon
Here we detail selected new and updated resources due to be published.
Employment Rights Act 2025 - Unfair dismissal/probationary periods
Key information: The Employment Rights Act 2025 will reduce the qualifying period for protection from unfair dismissal from two years to six months.
The protection will take effect retrospectively from 1 January 2027 (meaning that employees who have six months' service on that date will gain protection). The compensation cap for unfair dismissal will also be removed on 1 January 2027.
Resources and expected publication dates: Among the resources that will be created and updated are:
- Updates to various Employment law guides on unfair dismissal (June 2026)
- Updates to template Procedures, Letters and Forms on probationary procedures (June 2026)
- Updates to line manager Training on misconduct and disciplinary investigations (June 2026), and probationary periods and performance (July 2026)
- Updates to various line manager Training on recruitment (Autumn 2026)
- Updates to various FAQs (throughout 2026)
Employment Rights Act 2025 - Tribunal time limits
Key information: The Employment Rights Act 2025 increases the time limit for making an employment tribunal claim from three months to six months on 1 October 2026 (some claims already have a six-month time limit).
Resources and expected publication dates: Among the resources that will be created and updated are:
- Updates to various Employment law guides, including on Tribunal procedures and penalties (September 2026)
- Updates to How to manage the retention of employee data under the UK GDPR (September 2026)
- Updates to template Forms for employment tribunal claims (September 2026)
- Updates to various FAQs (September 2026)
Employment Rights Act 2025 - Reform of trade union laws
Key information: The Employment Rights Act 2025 reforms trade union legislation in phases. In October 2026, changes include a new right of union access to the workplace and a requirement to provide workers with a written statement of their right to join a trade union. See Employment Rights Act 2025 Hub for more information.
Resources and expected publication dates: Among the resources that will be created and updated are:
- Updates to various Employment law guides, including Trade unions: rights of access (September 2026)
- New template Letter confirming right to join a trade union and updates to model Contracts and Contract clauses (September 2026)
- New suite of template Letters to help employers comply with the new access rights (September 2026)
Employment Rights Act 2025 - Harassment and sexual harassment
Key information: The Employment Rights Act 2025 places an obligation on employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their workers instead of reasonable steps. The Act also introduces employer liability for third-party harassment. These changes will take effect in October 2026.
Resources and expected publication dates: Among the resources that will be created and updated are:
- Updates to various template Policies, including Anti-harassment and anti-bullying policy (September 2026)
- Updates to various Employment law guides, including on Harassment (September 2026)
- New line manager Training on sexual harassment, and updates to Training on bullying and harassment (September 2026)
- Updates to Leading practice guides on building a working environment free from harassment and sexual harassment (September 2026)
Employment Rights Act 2025 - Tipping law
Key information: The Employment Rights Act 2025 places an obligation on employers to consult employee representatives when developing or revising their tipping policies, and to conduct a review at least once every three years. This requirement will come into effect in October 2026.
Resources and expected publication dates: Among the resources that will be created and updated are:
- Updates to the Allocation of tips policy and a new suite of template Letters and a Form on the consultation process (September 2026)
- Updates to the Employment law guide on Tipping, gratuities and service charges (September 2026)
New resources - other
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Commentary and insights: HR for HR - Stronger together - HR's collective response to the Employment Rights Act 2025 For many HR professionals, the Employment Rights Act 2025 has given rise to a complex mix of emotions - not least, being a little overwhelmed. It's important to focus, then, not just on what's changing in terms of the law, but on how HR leaders are responding. What will you prioritise, what conversations will you lead, and how will you turn uncertainty into confident, practical action for your organisation? |
June 2026 |
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Commentary and insights: Employment Rights Act 2025 unfair dismissal changes - insights from our webinar Hannah Mason picks out the themes from the recent Brightmine webinar on the upcoming unfair dismissal changes - what questions are organisations asking themselves as they make their probation processes fit for purpose for the new six-month qualifying period? |
June 2026 |
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Commentary and insights: Men at Work - Rethinking Mental Health, Support and Cancel Culture In recent years, workplaces have rightly introduced more policies and support aimed at women, including changes under the new ERA. But while supporting women is essential, are employers at risk of overlooking the support that men also need? |
June 2026 |
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Commentary and insights: HR for HR - Who are today's workers and how should HR support them? In the modern workplace, the idea of a "typical employee" has disappeared. For organisations, this shift requires more than policy updates, it demands a rethink of how people are supported, managed and trusted. Workers are more individual, values-driven and vocal about what they need to perform at their best. Caroline Green asks HR professionals how organisations can rethink their workforce approach amid increasingly varied needs. |
June 2026 |
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Commentary and insights: Reintegration after incarceration - Challenging workplace stigma against ex-offenders A significant proportion of the population have criminal records. So what are the legal requirements when thinking about recruiting someone with a spent or unspent conviction? And are employers that shy away from engaging with ex-offenders failing to make use of a valuable resource and even damaging their organisations? |
June 2026 |
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Commentary and insights: Mindful DEI - Allocating space for compassion during the age of burnout What does psychology tell us about how we engage with initiatives like DEI? The benefits of EDI initiatives to businesses and organisations are well established, but implementing successful strategies still requires us to grapple with the realities of stretched budgets and stressed teams. DEI initiatives are also undoubtedly of ethical value to companies; but so is the welfare of employees. In this article, we will explore the relationship between DEI and psychological wellbeing and discuss how to integrate the aims of both into effective workplace strategies. |
June 2026 |
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Webinar: Employment Rights Act 2025 - October harassment law changes Workplace harassment laws have been strengthened significantly in recent years - and further changes are due to come into force this autumn, including the introduction of employer liability for third-party harassment. Is your organisation reform-ready? Join us for this 60-minute webinar where Lisa Bell, founder of Tell Jane, will:
Don't miss this opportunity to stay ahead of the curve and ensure your workplace is compliant. The session will include a live Q&A. Registration details to follow. |
17 June 2026, 11 am |
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Podcast: Employment Rights Act 2025 - Trade Union Reforms Explained The changes to trade union laws represent some of the most significant reforms in the Employment Rights Act 2025. Lilia Dengi, legal editor at Brightmine, joins the podcast to recap what's already happened and to talk through the major changes expected in October: the requirement to inform workers about their right to join a union and unions' right of access to the workplace. |
June 2026 |
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Survey analysis and Benchmarking - HR metrics: Wellbeing 2026 The annual Brightmine wellbeing research explores how organisations are responding to evolving wellbeing pressures and assesses how far wellbeing is embedded into everyday people management. Share your insights by taking part in the survey here. |
June 2026 |
Updated resources - other
Updates to reflect the For Women Scotland Supreme Court decision on the meaning of 'woman' and 'sex' in Equality Act
| Key information |
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. |
| Resources |
The following resources have had interim updates in light of the judgment:
We have provided the following additional commentary and guidance:
To keep track of the latest developments, we recommend that you personalise your list of tracked topics by adding Diversity and inclusion and Gender reassignment discrimination |
| Status |
As a result of the Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) published a draft updated statutory code of practice for services, public functions and associations on 21 May 2026. The draft code was laid before Parliament on 21 May 2026 and MPs now have a 40-day period (until 30 June 2026) to consider it. If Parliament does not reject the draft code, it is expected to come into effect via a commencement order (exact date TBC). Employers should bear in mind that this statutory code does not cover employment, although its contents may provide some indication as to the approach to take. It remains to be seen if, and when, the EHRC will update its employment code of practice to reflect the Supreme Court decision. We are keeping track of developments and will provide updates as and when the guidance becomes available. |
| Expected publication |
2026 |
