UK Act of Parliament 2025 United Kingdom

Employment Rights Act 2025

What this means for your business

23 guides
Enforced by
HMRC, HMCTS
Applies to
United Kingdom
On this page
23 practical guides across 5 topics
Read full text on legislation.gov.uk

Practical guidance

Our guides explain how to comply with the requirements above.

Employment & HR 18

Statutory Sick Pay: employer guide

How Statutory Sick Pay works for employers: day-one eligibility, no waiting days, no lower earnings limit, and the …

Zero-hours contracts: employer obligations

How to comply with zero-hours contract rules: guaranteed hours offers, shift notice requirements, and compensation for cancelled shifts. …

Employment Rights Act 2025: what employers need to know

Overview of all 28 reforms in the Employment Rights Act 2025, with implementation timeline from April 2026 to …

Unfair dismissal: employer guide

How unfair dismissal protection works for employers: the 6-month qualifying period, fire and rehire restrictions, removal of the …

Fire and rehire: what employers can and cannot do

Detailed guidance on fire and rehire restrictions under ERA 2025. Covers what constitutes fire and rehire, when the …

Family leave: employer checklist

Checklist for implementing day-one paternity leave, unpaid parental leave, and bereavement leave entitlements under ERA 2025. Covers policy …

Updating employment contracts for ERA 2025

Checklist of changes needed to employment contracts and written statements following the Employment Rights Act 2025. Covers the …

The complete employment lifecycle: employer responsibilities from hire to exit

A comprehensive guide to employer responsibilities across every stage of the employment relationship, from lawful advertising and recruitment …

Employment law in Northern Ireland: key differences from Great Britain

How employment law in Northern Ireland differs from Great Britain. Covers the Orders in Council legislative framework, the …

Respond to an employment tribunal claim

What to do when a current or former employee brings an employment tribunal claim against your business. Covers …

Working with trade unions

Your legal obligations when dealing with trade unions, including recognition, collective bargaining, time off rights, and industrial action.

Preventing workplace harassment: employer duties

How to comply with strengthened harassment prevention duties from October 2026, including third-party harassment liability and 'all reasonable …

Collective redundancy: updated consultation rules

Updated guidance on collective redundancy consultation following ERA 2025 changes, including doubled protective award and new organisation-wide threshold.

Fair Work Agency: what employers need to know

What the Fair Work Agency is, what it enforces, and how to prepare. The FWA launches on 1 …

Mandatory hiring requirements

Every employer obligation from pre-hire through the first month of employment. Covers right to work checks, written statements …

Employment Contracts and Written Statements

Your legal duty to provide written employment terms. Covers the day-1 requirement, mandatory terms, contract types, zero-hours protections, …

Trade union rights: what has changed for employers

Overview of trade union reform under the Employment Rights Act 2025, including workplace access rights, electronic balloting, simplified …

How Shared Parental Leave works: a guide for employers and parents

Explainer on the Shared Parental Leave framework. Covers what SPL is and is not, the curtailment-and-conversion mechanic, eligibility …

Sections and provisions

172 classified provisions from this legislation.

Duties 16

  • s.19 Review of extent of right to time off for public duties
  • s.21 Harassment by third parties
  • s.35 Duty to keep records relating to annual leave
  • s.37 Guidance about the employment of children on heritage railways
  • s.40 Membership, procedure, etc of Negotiating Body
  • s.44 Reconsideration by Negotiating Body
  • s.47 Effect of regulations ratifying agreement
  • s.49 Guidance and codes of practice
  • s.50 Duty of employers to keep records employers
  • s.106 Notices of underpayment: further provision
  • s.107 Penalties for underpayment underpaid individual
  • s.113 Effect of replacement notice of underpayment
  • s.118 Recovery of costs of legal assistance
  • s.125 Power to make LME order on conviction An LME order
  • Schedule 1 Agency workers: guaranteed hours and rights relating to shifts sums payable
  • Schedule 8 Warrants under Part 5: further provision reference

Offences and penalties 8

  • s.102 Offences relating to gangmasters: power to enter premises with warrant
  • s.108 Further provision about penalties
  • s.139 Offence of failing to comply with LME order
  • s.140 Offence of providing false information or documents
  • s.142 Offence of obstruction
  • s.144 Offences by bodies corporate
  • s.145 Application of this Part to partnerships
  • s.146 Application of this Part to unincorporated associations

Powers 44

  • s.2 Shifts: rights to reasonable notice
  • s.39 Power to establish Social Care Negotiating Body
  • s.43 Consideration of matters by Negotiating Body
  • s.45 Failure to reach an agreement
  • s.46 Power to ratify agreements
  • s.48 Power of appropriate authority to deal with matters
  • s.52 Regulations under section 46 or 48 : supplementary
  • s.53 Regulations under this Chapter
  • s.54 Status of agreements, etc
  • s.57 International agreements relating to maritime employment
  • s.92 Delegation of functions
  • s.93 Advisory Board
  • s.96 Power to obtain documents or information
  • s.97 Power to enter premises in order to obtain documents, etc
  • s.98 Power to enter dwelling subject to warrant
  • s.99 Supplementary powers in relation to documents
  • s.100 Retention of documents
  • s.103 Power to give notice of underpayment
  • s.104 Calculation of the required sum
  • s.109 Suspension of penalty where criminal proceedings have been brought, etc
  • ... and 24 more powers

Definitions 15

  • s.4 Agency workers: guaranteed hours and rights relating to shifts agency worker work-finding agency
  • s.6 Amendments relating to sections 1 to 5 specified zero hours arrangement zero hours contract
  • s.36 Extension of regulation of employment businesses employment business Employment arrangements
  • s.41 Matters within Negotiating Body’s remit
  • s.42 Meaning of “social care worker”
  • s.55 Interpretation of this Chapter contract of employment employment enactment
  • s.90 Enforcement of labour market legislation by Secretary of State enforcement officer
  • s.91 Enforcement functions of Secretary of State
  • s.122 Means of giving notice under section 119 electronic address working day
  • s.132 Items subject to legal privilege communications
  • s.134 Information relating to the intelligence services, etc crime intelligence service information
  • s.137 Restriction on disclosure of HMRC information HMRC information national minimum wage information revenue and customs information relating to a person
  • s.150 Meaning of “non-compliance with relevant labour market legislation”
  • s.151 Interpretation: general the Advisory Board employee enactment
  • Schedule 9 Persons to whom information may be disclosed under section 135

Exemptions 10

  • s.3 Right to payment for cancelled, moved and curtailed shifts
  • s.33 Equality action plans
  • s.105 Period to which notice of underpayment may relate
  • s.110 Appeals against notices of underpayment
  • s.117 Power to provide legal assistance
  • s.133 Privilege against self-incrimination
  • s.136 Disclosure of information: supplementary provision
  • s.138 Restriction on disclosure of intelligence service information
  • s.147 Application of this Part to the Crown and Parliament
  • s.156 Regulations