This month marks the start of what the government has called the biggest overhaul of workplace rights in a generation. Several significant changes come into force from 6 April, concerning sick pay, family leave, redundancy obligations, tribunal windows, harassment duties and a brand-new enforcement body. Here’s what HR practitioners need to understand.
Statutory Sick Pay: No more waiting
Employees are entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from the very first day of absence. No more three-day waiting period. The Lower Earnings Limit, which previously disqualified lower-paid workers from SSP entirely, will be abolished.
Any payroll system still applying waiting-day logic needs updating before the first pay run after this week. Absence management policies built around the old rules are now out of date.
“This change will particularly affect lower-paid and part-time workers,” says Hipps. “For employers, it increases the importance of having fair and clearly communicated absence management processes. Where managers apply absence rules inconsistently, disputes often arise. Clear guidance and training will be essential.”
It increases the importance of having fair and clearly communicated absence management processes
Day-one family leave rights
Paternity leave and ordinary parental leave will become a ‘day one right’ for employees from 6 April 2026. Previously, someone must have worked for their employer for 26 weeks for paternity leave, and one year for unpaid parental leave. Under the new rules, an employee could request either within days of joining.
“This changes early-stage workforce planning,” Hipps explains. “Employers will need to ensure managers understand that eligibility starts immediately – and that new joiners are treated consistently and fairly.”
He notes that implementation will matter more than policy wording: “Policies are straightforward to update. The challenge is ensuring managers apply them correctly and that taking leave does not quietly impact progression or perception”.
Collective redundancy: Double the cost of getting it wrong
The maximum protective award for failure to comply with collective consultation obligations will increase from 90 days’ to 180 days’ pay.
“This significantly raises the financial exposure for employers if consultation processes are not handled correctly,” says Hipps. “The message is clear: workforce planning cannot be reactive. Organisations will need robust consultation processes, consistent documentation and clearly evidenced decision-making.”
He adds: “Where businesses rely on informal or inconsistent redundancy processes across sites or departments, the risks increase. This reform effectively increases the cost of getting it wrong.”
The message is clear: workforce planning cannot be reactive
Tribunal time limits
The time limit for employees to bring a claim to an employment tribunal will double from three to six months. This significantly extends employers’ exposure to legacy claims.
Sexual harassment and whistleblowing
Employees who report workplace sexual harassment now receive formal whistleblower protections, with their complaint carrying the same protections as a financial wrongdoing disclosure. Separately, employers now have a positive duty to prevent harassment of employees by third parties: customers, clients, contractors and suppliers are all in scope.
“Stronger whistleblowing protections place greater emphasis on organisational culture and follow-through,” Hipps says. “The real test isn’t whether a policy exists, it’s whether employees feel safe using it.”
He adds: “Employers should review not just reporting channels, but how concerns are investigated, recorded and resolved. Transparency and documentation will become increasingly important.”
The Fair Work Agency
On 7 April, the government’s new Fair Work Agency (FWA) will begin operating as the UK’s enforcement agency for employment rights. It will be able to take action against employers for breaches of employment law, including carrying out investigations, issuing penalties and taking legal action on behalf of employees.
“A single enforcement body increases visibility and accountability,” Hipps explains. “Even well-intentioned employers may find gaps between policy and practice exposed.”
He advises businesses to audit internal processes now: “Consistency across teams, locations and managers will be critical. Enforcement environments tend to favour organisations that can clearly evidence how decisions were made”.
Transparency and documentation will become increasingly important
Gender equality and menopause plans: Voluntary…for now
Gender pay gap and menopause action plans are voluntary but are expected to become mandatory for large employers (with more than 250 employees) from spring 2027.
The voluntary period is an opportunity, not a grace period. Organisations that develop these plans now will have had time to understand what the data actually shows and act on it, rather than producing a compliance document under deadline pressure in early 2027.
Just the beginning
April 2026 is wave one. Reforms to unfair dismissal qualifying periods, zero-hours contract protections, and trade union rights are all still to come, staged through 2026 and into 2027.
The organisations that handle this well won’t be the ones who treat each change as a separate compliance task. They’ll be the ones whose managers, documentation and processes were already in reasonable shape.
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