April 2026 Employment Law Changes: What Employers Need to Do Now

The latest employment law changes are now in force — and many employers aren’t ready.

From April 2026, several key updates have come into effect that directly impact how organisations manage absence, family leave, and dismissal processes.

While some of these changes may seem small on the surface, the reality is they significantly increase risk where processes aren’t clear, consistent, and well-documented.

Now is the time to review your approach.

What’s Changed from 6 April 2026?

A number of important changes have now come into force:

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) Reform

• SSP is now payable from day one (removal of the 3-day waiting period)

• Lower Earnings Limit removed, meaning more employees qualify

Day-One Family Leave Rights

• Paternity leave is now a day-one right

• Unpaid parental leave is now a day-one right

• Employees can give notice from their first day of employment

Bereaved Partner’s Paternity Leave (New Right)

• Up to 52 weeks’ leave if a child’s mother/adopter dies within the first year

Collective Redundancy Penalties Increased

• Protective award doubled to 180 days’ pay for failure to consult

Whistleblowing Protections Strengthened

• Reporting sexual harassment now qualifies for whistleblowing protection

Holiday Record-Keeping (New Legal Duty)

• Employers must now keep detailed records of holiday and pay for 6 years

• This is a new and unexpected requirement, increasing compliance obligations

Gender Equality & Menopause Action Plans

• Employers with 250+ employees are encouraged to publish Equality Action Plans

• Expected to become mandatory from 2027

Enforcement Changes

• The Fair Work Agency launches 07 April 2026

• Acting as a central enforcement body for employment rights, whether an employee pursues a claim individually or not is irrelevant

• Greater scrutiny and enforcement risk for employers

Why This Matters

These changes significantly shift the landscape for employers.

• More employees are now covered by statutory rights

• Processes will be more closely scrutinised

• There is less margin for error

• Non-compliance carries greater financial and reputational risk

What may previously have been considered low-risk areas — such as short-term absence or early service employees — now require a much more structured and consistent approach.

Where Employers Go Wrong

In practice, many organisations are not set up to deal with these changes effectively.Common issues include:

• Outdated policies that no longer reflect current law

• Managers unaware of new rights and obligations

• Inconsistent application across teams

• Lack of documentation and audit trails

These gaps significantly increase the risk of disputes, claims, and enforcement action.

What Employers Should Do Now

To reduce risk and ensure compliance, employers should take proactive steps:

✔️ Review and update policies and contracts

✔️ Ensure absence, leave, and redundancy processes are compliant

✔️ Train managers on new rights and responsibilities

✔️ Strengthen documentation and record-keeping practices

✔️ Introduce consistency across teams and decision-making

Taking action now will make these changes far easier to manage in practice.

Conclusion

These changes represent a significant shift in employment law and how organisations manage their workforce.

Employers who act now — updating policies, training managers, and strengthening processes — will reduce risk, improve compliance, and build more resilient organisations.

Start today: small changes now can prevent significant issues later.

Need help reviewing your policies or preparing for these changes?

HDHR can support you to review policies, train managers, and ensure your processes are compliant, consistent, and fit for purpose — supporting people. protecting businesses.

Get in touch today