Removal of qualifying period for paternity leave and ordinary parental leave

Implementation date: Not expected before 2026

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

It is not yet known when these measures will come into force. In its Next Steps to Make Work Pay policy paper, the Government said it expects to begin consulting in 2025 on the various measures covered in the Bill and that it anticipates that "the majority of reforms will take effect no earlier than 2026".