Employment Law changes – what you need to do now

You are here: Home » News & Articles » Employment Law changes – what you need to do now

by Amanda Adie | 12th Oct 2026

With significant shifts in UK employment legislation taking effect, and further major reforms on the horizon under the Employment Rights Act, employers across the UK face an evolving legal landscape. To help business owners, HR professionals, and managers navigate these challenges with confidence, Eclipse HR partnered with Whitehead Monckton to present a webinar on the latest Employment Law changes with a focus on what employers need to action now.

If you were unable to join us live, you can watch the full session recording below.

Watch the full webinar:

Overview

Led by Employment Law experts Antonio Fletcher and Eloise Jones from Whitehead Monckton, alongside our Senior HR Consultant Veronica Fox, the panel broke down the upcoming statutory shifts into actionable steps, covering:

• The Employment Rights Act – where are we now?
• Employment Tribunal time limit extensions and the impact of these
• Trade Union Access Rights and what to do if a Trade Union knocks on your door
• Updates to sexual harassment laws, how to ensure you are ‘all reasonable steps’ ready and what employers should do to prevent third-party harassment
• Expanded Unfair Dismissal Rights and four actions every employer should take
• Fire and rehire reform
• What to do if an Employment Tribunal does present itself

Next Steps for Employers

To ensure your business remains compliant and well-prepared:

1. Act now and ensure you are fully aware of your obligations as we anticipate Employment Tribunals will be on the increase.
2. Review your policies and documentation: Audit existing employment contracts, offer templates, and staff handbooks.
3. Train your managers: Ensure line managers understand flexible working requests, managing sickness absence, probation procedures and harassment prevention duties.
4. Audit your HR processes: Assess how your probation arrangements, contract wording, record keeping and other high risk areas are handled within your team.

How We Can Help

The employment law landscape continues to evolve, with significant changes already introduced throughout 2026 and further reforms planned over the coming months and into 2027. Keeping policies, procedures and management practices up to date can be complex and time-consuming, but you don’t have to navigate these changes alone.  We can help you review and update your HR documentation, assess the impact of legislative changes on your organisation, provide practical training for managers and audit your current people processes to ensure compliance and reduce risk.

If you have questions about any of the topics covered in the recording, or require tailored support for your organisation, please contact us today.