You employ a handful of people. You have seen headlines about the Employment Rights Act 2025, but the changes arrive in stages, and it is hard to tell which ones already apply to your business and which are still coming. Rewriting every contract and policy at once is not realistic. Missing a date that has already passed is not a good option either.

This article separates what is already in force from what starts on 30 October 2026, so you can update the right documents in the right order and keep a record of what you did.

Already in force: the tribunal time limit has doubled

From 1 October 2026, the time limit for bringing most employment tribunal claims increased from three months to six months (section 152 and Schedule 12 of the Act, commenced by SI 2026/954). What matters is the date of the act or failure complained of, not the date someone reads the news. A dismissal on or after 1 October is likely to carry a longer claim window than one in September.

What to do now:

  • Check your record-retention schedule. Do not dispose of dismissal, disciplinary or grievance files on an old three-month assumption.
  • Tell anyone who handles dismissals or grievances that an internal appeal does not pause the tribunal clock.
  • If you employ staff in Scotland, check the separate date for breach of contract claims there before relying on 1 October.

Starting 30 October 2026: "all reasonable steps" and third-party harassment

The Employment Rights Act 2025 (Commencement No. 6) Regulations 2026 bring sections 20 and 21 of the Act into force on 30 October 2026. Section 20 raises the existing duty from "reasonable steps" to all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of workers. Section 21 deals with harassment by third parties, such as customers and clients.

The duty to prevent sexual harassment is not new. It has applied since October 2024. The change is that the standard is higher and third-party harassment is explicitly covered. If your staff deal with the public, this is the change most likely to catch you unprepared.

What to do before 30 October:

  • Update your harassment policy so that it names customers, clients, contractors and other third parties as within scope.
  • Write down the customer-facing situations that carry the most risk, such as lone working, late shifts or home visits, and the realistic steps you will take for each.
  • Give managers a short, practical script for what to do when a worker reports harassment from a customer.
  • Book the training, not just plan it, and keep a dated attendance record.

Regulations specifying which steps count as "reasonable" can be made under section 22. Until any are made, you are judged on what you can show you did. That makes the record as important as the policy.

Starting 30 October 2026: trade union right of access

The same regulations bring section 59 into force on 30 October 2026, giving trade unions a statutory right to request access to workplaces. This applies whether or not you have ever had union contact. The detail, including who is in scope and the process for a request, is set out in the Act and accompanying guidance, so check the current position for your workforce size before deciding it does not apply to you.

What to do before 30 October:

  • Count your workers across the whole employer, including associated companies, rather than one site.
  • Decide who receives and logs any access request, and make sure nobody refuses one on the spot.
  • Keep a dated note of any request received and how you responded.

Still coming: do not finalise these yet

Other changes, including the reformed unfair dismissal rules, are scheduled for later dates. Several measures, including the detail on zero-hours and guaranteed hours, are still subject to further regulations. Keep these on a watch list rather than rewriting contracts around drafts that may change. Check each date against the Act on legislation.gov.uk and current gov.uk and Acas guidance.

Keep the proof

For each change, keep one dated line in an evidence file: what changed, what you did, when, and where the supporting document is stored. If a claim or complaint arrives months later, that file shows the steps you took. Without it, you are relying on memory.

A structured place to start

The UK Employment Rights Act 2025 Compliance Blueprint is organised by when each change takes effect. It includes a pre-30 October compliance audit chapter, an employer compliance file chapter, a fillable master timeline, a "Which changes apply to my business?" decision tree and a policy and contract update checklist. It covers Great Britain, not Northern Ireland. It is also available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback formats, and editions may differ.

Explore the guide and instant PDF download.

Know what changed. Know what to do. Keep the proof.

📘 PDFBlueprints — plain-English UK compliance guides for landlords, sole traders & small employers. Checklists, trackers & templates. Instant PDF. General information, not legal advice. Dates checked against legislation.gov.uk on 20 October 2026; implementation dates can change, so verify current requirements and take qualified advice for decisions about your business.