April 2026 Employment Reforms: The New Rules Reshaping UK Workplaces

April 2026 marks one of the most significant shifts in UK employment law in over a decade. Much of this change is driven by the Employment Rights Act 2025, with the first “major wave” of reforms taking effect from 1 to 7 April 2026. These changes expand day‑one rights, reshape statutory pay structures, and strengthen enforcement mechanisms, impacting both employers and employees across the UK.

This article summarises the key reforms and highlights the practical steps employers should take before the new framework comes into force.

1. Day-One Rights for Paternity and Parental Leave

From 6 April 2026, the qualifying periods for two major family‑related rights are abolished.

Statutory paternity leave becomes a day‑one right, removing the current 26‑week qualifying period.
Unpaid ordinary parental leave also becomes a day‑one entitlement, removing the previous one‑year service requirement.

These reforms allow new employees to request leave immediately upon starting employment, meaning policies, onboarding procedures, and manager training will need to be updated.

The restriction preventing employees from taking paternity leave immediately following shared parental leave has also been removed.

2. Bereaved Partner’s Paternity Leave

A new statutory right is introduced on 6 April 2026 to allow eligible employees up to 52 weeks’ unpaid leave if a child's primary carer dies within the first year after birth or adoption.

Policies and HR processes will need to be updated to reflect this change.

3. Flexible Working Enhancements

From April 2026, the right to request flexible working becomes a day‑one right, removing the need for any prior service.

This marks a continued shift towards more adaptable work patterns across the UK workforce.

4. Statutory Sick Pay Reforms

One of the most impactful reforms is the overhaul of the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) regime. In particular, from 6 April 2026:

SSP is payable from day one of sickness absence (meaning the three‑day waiting period is abolished).
The Lower Earnings Limit is removed, making SSP available to workers who were previously excluded.
SSP will be paid at the flat weekly rate of £123.25, or 80% of normal weekly earnings if lower.

The widening of eligibility and earlier entitlement will likely increase employer costs and administrative demands, especially around absence management and payroll.

5. Increases to Statutory Pay Rates

The new National Minimum Wage/National Living Wage rates are as follows and took effect from 1 April 2026:

National Living Wage (21+): £12.71
18–20 rate: £10.85
16–17 rate: £8.00
Apprentice rate: £8.00
Accommodation offset: £11.10

The other statutory rate increases include:

Statutory maternity, adoption, shared parental and bereavement pay: £194.32 per week
Statutory cap on a week’s pay for statutory redundancy payments: £751 per week

The Employment Tribunal award caps have also been updated to:

Compensatory cap for unfair dismissal rises to £123,543
There has been an increase of the minimum basic award from £8,763 to £9,157

The new “Vento bands”, for injury to feelings awards, have been updated as follows:

Lower Band - £1,300 - £12,600
Middle Band – £12,600 - £37,700
Upper Band - £37,700 - £62,900

6. Collective Redundancy: Protective Award Doubles

The maximum protective award for failure to properly consult in a collective redundancy situation will double from 90 to 180 days’ pay per employee.

This significantly heightens the financial risk involved in non‑compliance and reinforces the importance of robust consultation processes.

7. Strengthened Whistleblowing Protections

From April 2026, disclosures relating to sexual harassment will be expressly recognised as qualifying whistleblowing disclosures.

This means employers must treat such disclosures with full whistleblowing protections, including protection from detriment, enhanced investigations, and clear reporting procedures.

8. Introduction of the Fair Work Agency

April 2026 also sees the establishment of the new Fair Work Agency which becomes the UK’s central body for enforcing employment rights. The FWA will have powers to investigate, issue penalties, and enforce compliance.

These reforms amount to a structural reset in UK employment law, touching almost every aspect of the employment relationship. Employers should begin preparing now by updating employee handbooks and policies, HR systems and payroll settings, manager training and internal processes.

Forward planning will be essential to ensure compliance, mitigate risk, and support employees throughout this period of extensive legal change.