What this Means to your business

You maybe be aware of the major development in employment law, the Employment Rights Bill has now passed through Parliament and has received the Royal Assent on Thursday 18^th December 2025, becoming the Employment Rights Act.

This represents the most significant overhaul of workers’ rights in decades, introducing reforms that will impact every UK business and substantially increase legal requirements for employers.

What’s changing?

• Day-one rights for paternity leave and statutory sick pay
• Unfair dismissal protection reduced from 2 years to 6 months
• Zero-hours contract reforms granting staff more predictable hours
• Stricter limits on “Fire and Rehire” practices
• Creation of a Fair Work Agency with powers to investigate and penalise non-compliance

Under the Government’s roadmap, some changes will take effect immediately or shortly after Royal Assent, with further changes rolling out in early 2026 and continuing through to 2027.

Why act now?

Without robust HR systems and compliant documentation, the cost, disruption, and management time involved in defending claims will only escalate.

Milne Safety offers a comprehensive HR service to help you stay compliant and protect your business. We can:

• Access to a HR Advisor
• Explain the imminent changes
• Identify potential risks
• Update your policies and documentation
• Provide a variety of bespoke HR policy document templates (incl. Contracts of Employment, Policies and Procedures)
• Provide advice via the phone or email

If you’d like to discuss how we can support you, please get in touch on: 01953 607093