Paternity Leave
As of Monday, 6 April 2026, the Employment Rights Act (ERA) 2025 will fundamentally transform the UK workplace by introducing several "Day One" entitlements. Now, paid paternity leave and unpaid parental leave are Day One Rights, granted immediately upon joining a firm. Fathers will also be permitted to take paternity leave, even after finishing a period of shared parental leave, a change that applies to all babies born or placed for adoption. Further, employers should take note of the recent introduction of Bereaved Partner’s Paternity Leave, which offers up to 52 weeks of protected leave for those whose partner dies before a child’s first birthday.
Statutory Sick Pay
The 3-day "waiting period" for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) has also been removed, and SSP is now a Day One Right. Further, the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL), which previously required employees to earn at least £125 pw to qualify, has been scrapped, and all workers, regardless of their weekly pay, are now eligible for either the standard rate of £123.25 pw or 80% of their average weekly earnings, whichever figure is lower. This change obligates an immediate review of HR payroll systems and sickness policies to factor in a likely increase in both the number of eligible employees and total company expenditure on short-term absences.
Whistleblowing Protections
The whistleblowing laws, which have always been a de facto Day One Right, have been broadened to include complaints of sexual harassment as "protected disclosures explicitly". This means that any worker who reports harassment is shielded by law against detriment or unfair dismissal, requiring employers to update their internal whistleblowing and harassment policies to reflect this heightened level of legal protection.
