Employment Changes You Must Be Aware of this Spring

From April 2026 there are a number of employment changes your business must be aware of to protect your staff and remain compliant with the law. Changes apply to:

·         Statutory Sick Pay

·         Minimum Wage

·         Paternity and Unpaid Parental Leave

·         Bereaved Partner’s Paternity Leave

·         Fair Work Agency

·         Collective Redundancy

·         Trade Union Requirements

·         Whistleblowing Protections

·         Gender Equality Action Plan

Pin Point Recruitment, specialists in industrial, driving and logistics, engineering and health and social care staffing outline how you should prepare below:

Statutory Sick Pay

Key Changes:

• Statutory Sick Pay will be available to all eligible employees regardless of their earnings (the Lower Earnings Limit is being removed).

• Statutory Sick Pay will be payable from the first full day of sickness absence (the three-day waiting period is being removed).

• The rate of Statutory Sick Pay for all employees will be calculated at 80% of their average weekly earnings or the flat weekly rate, whichever is lower.

Actions to take:

• Review your sickness absence policies and prepare updates to any references to waiting periods or earnings thresholds.

• Check with your payroll provider how the changes will affect your payroll system.

• Communicate the changes to your management teams and staff.

  
  

National Minimum Wage

Effective from April 1st 2026 the national minimum wage will be applicable for the following age brackets:

• National Living Wage (21+): £12.71

• 18-20: £10.85

• 16-17: £8.00

• Apprentice rate: £8.00

• Accomodation Offset: £11.10
  

Failure to pay employees the NMW can result in HMRC taking the following action against your company:

• Issue a notice to pay money owed, going back a maximum of 6 years

• Issue a fine of up to £20,000 and a minimum of £100 for each worker affected, even if the underpayment is worth less

• Take legal action including criminal legal proceedings

• Pass on the names of businesses and employers to the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) who may put them on a public list

Paternity and Unpaid Parental Leave

Key Changes:

• Employees can give notice of Paternity Leave from day one of employment

• Employees can give notice of Unpaid Parental Leave from day one of employment

• Fathers and partners can now take Paternity Leave and Pay after Shared Parental Leave and Pay (previously this was not allowed)

• Continuity of service requirements for Paternity Pay remain unchanged

Transitional arrangements for Paternity Leave

For newly eligible birth parents with a baby due before 26 July 2026, the notice period is temporarily reduced to 28 days. Standard notice requirements (informing their employer of their intent to take Paternity Leave 15 weeks before the Expected Week of Childbirth, and 28 days before they want the leave to start) apply for those whose child is due on or after 26 July 2026. Standard notice requirements for adopters and birth parents who qualified before 6 April remain unchanged. Actions to take:

Before 6 April 2026:

• Review your Paternity Leave and Parental Leave policies to reflect day-one eligibility

• Update your employee handbook and any template documents

• Brief line managers on the new entitlements

• Ensure your HR systems can process leave requests from new starters

• Communicate the changes to your workforce

Bereaved Partner’s Paternity Leave

Key changes:

• The right to take time off work will apply where an employee's child is less than a year old, or within the first year of adoption, and their mother or primary adopter has died.

• Employees may be eligible for up to 52 weeks of leave, depending on when the bereavement occurs.

• There is no statutory pay requirement – paid leave is at employer discretion.

• This is a day one right.

Actions to take:

Before 6 April 2026:

• Review your bereavement and compassionate leave policies.

• Create or update a specific policy for Bereaved Partner's Paternity Leave.

• Consider whether you will offer paid leave (this is not a legal requirement but may support staff wellbeing).

• Brief line managers on handling sensitive requests.

• Communicate the new entitlement to your workforce.

Fair Work Agency

Currently, employment rights enforcement in the UK is split across multiple organisations (like HMRC for minimum wage, the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, etc.). The new agency will bring these together into one unified authority from April 7 2026.

The Fair Work Agency will enforce key rights such as:

• Minimum wage compliance

• Holiday pay

• Statutory sick pay

• Protection against exploitation

  • Provide clearer guidance for employers

  • Act as a single point of contact for workers and businesses
    

Actions to take:

• Familiarise yourself with the Fair Work Agency's enforcement policy statement (when published).

• Review your compliance with existing employment rights (e.g. National Minimum Wage, holiday pay, agency worker regulations).

• Understand how to contact the agency if you need guidance.
  

Collective Redundancy – Increased Protective Award

Key changes

The maximum protective award for non-compliance with collective redundancy obligations will increase from 90 days' pay to 180 days' pay per affected employee.

This applies where an employer fails to properly consult appropriate employee representatives when proposing 20 or more redundancies at one establishment within a 90-day period.

This change will apply to dismissals which happen on or after 6 April.

Actions to take:

Before 6 April 2026:

• Review your collective redundancy policies and procedures to ensure they meet legal requirements

• Brief HR teams and senior managers on the increased penalties, and ensure managers understand how to consult appropriate employee representatives.

• Ensure you have processes in place to identify when collective redundancies in your organisation are triggered.

• Seek legal advice if you are planning significant workforce changes

Trade Union Requirements

Key changes:

• Unions now have a 10-day notice period to inform employers of their intention to take industrial action (reduced from 14 days).

• Ballots approving industrial action have a 12-month mandate (increased from 6 months).

• Unions are no longer required to reimburse employers for check-off administration in the public sector.

• Unions are not required to appoint a picket supervisor to monitor picket lines.

• Employees are protected from unfair dismissal for taking part in industrial action, whatever the length of the strike action (due to removal of the 12-week cap).

• Unions are required to include less information than previously in industrial action notices and industrial action ballot notices.

• Public sector employers are no longer required to publish facility time.

Actions to take:

• Review your internal policies and processes to ensure they are compatible with the new legislation.

• Read the updated Code of Practice on Industrial Action Ballots and Notice to Employers.

• Read the updated Code of Practice on Picketing.

For more information see the Repeal of the Trade Union Act 2016.

Whistleblowing Protections for Sexual Harassment

Key changes:

• The law will make clear that workers who ‘blow the whistle’ on sexual harassment can benefit from whistleblowing protections against detriment and unfair dismissal.

• Previously, a worker would have to claim that their whistleblowing disclosure about sexual harassment fell under one of the existing categories of wrongdoing, such as a danger to health and safety.
  

Actions to take:

• Review and update your whistleblowing policy.

• Brief managers on the updated protections.

• Communicate the changes to your workforce.
  

Gender Equality Action Plan

Starting in April 2026, employers with 250 or more staff can voluntarily create and publish an action plan alongside their gender pay gap report. From spring 2027, these action plans will become mandatory, in line with secondary legislation.

The aim of these action plans is to help employers take meaningful steps to improve gender equality in the workplace and promote equal opportunities for male and female employees.

Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, action plans should outline the measures your organisation is taking to:

• Reduce your gender pay gap.

• Support employees going through menopause.

The government has provided a set of evidence-based actions that employers may adopt. Eligible organisations should select at least two actions that best demonstrate their commitment to closing the gender pay gap and supporting employees experiencing menopause. If you are seeking a recruitment partner that will not only give you access to top talent, but will also provide you with hiring insights, industry benchmarking and a consultative approach to staffing, get in touch with Pin Point Recruitment today.