Dates at a Glance
What Hospitality Owners Need to Know
The Government has released its initial roadmap for implementing the Employment Rights Bill, outlining proposed changes and when they might take effect. While some of these dates are subject to public consultation and may shift, it’s worth getting these on your radar now, especially if you own or operate a hospitality business.
This snapshot highlights key changes that could impact your people strategy over the next two years. We’ll be covering many of these in more detail as further guidance is released. But for now, here’s what to watch:
From April 2026:
- Redundancy Protection: The maximum protective award in collective redundancy cases will double, a crucial change for those managing restructures.
- Day One Rights: New employees will gain immediate access to paternity leave and unpaid parental leave.
- Whistleblowing Protections: Strengthened laws will aim to encourage and protect those reporting wrongdoing.
From October 2026:
- Fire and Rehire: New rules will clamp down on unfair ‘fire and rehire’ tactics.
- Tipping Law: Employers must consult staff on how tips are distributed, essential for restaurants, bars and cafes. Tronc is a cost-effective way for fair tip and service charge distribution.
- Sexual Harassment Prevention: Employers will be legally required to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment, and stop third-party harassment too. This has big implications for customer-facing teams.
- Trade Union Changes: Expanded protections and simplified recognition processes for unions.
- Sick Pay Overhaul: Statutory Sick Pay will no longer require a minimum earning threshold or waiting period.
- Fair Work Agency: A new enforcement body will be established to oversee labour rights and promote workplace fairness.
In 2027 and Beyond:
- Day One Unfair Dismissal Rights: All employees will have the right to claim unfair dismissal from day one. This is a game-changer for how you manage new hires.
- Gender Pay Gap and Menopause Action Plans: Initially voluntary from 2026, but expected to carry more weight by 2027.
- Pregnancy & Maternity Protections: Enhanced dismissal protections will apply during pregnancy, maternity leave and return-to-work periods.
- Zero Hours Contracts: New regulations to limit their exploitative use.
- Bereavement Leave: A statutory right to time off following the death of a loved one.
- Flexible Working: Improved access to request flexible working from day one.
What This Means for You
While many of these changes won’t land until 2026 or later, the direction of travel is clear: stronger employee protections, earlier access to rights, and tougher enforcement.
For hospitality businesses already stretched on staffing and compliance, now is the time to:
- Review your probation and dismissal procedures
- Revisit your approach to flexible working and sick pay
- Tighten up harassment and grievance policies
- Start preparing for new tipping laws and union rules
Don’t wait until the last minute to react. These changes are coming and they will affect how you recruit, manage and retain your people.
Need help getting your house in order? Book a consultation today and let’s get ahead of the curve.