The Department for Business (DBT) are communicating the changes that will come because of the Employment Rights Act 2025. The provisions in this will come into effect over the coming months and years in phased approach.
As part of the UK Government’s commitment to provide support and guidance, ICB wants to point you to the following:
A New Website
The ‘Employment Changes’ website advises the key changes and includes timelines, the actions to take and links to additional guidance.
The Toolkit
Alongside the new website, DBT have produced a stakeholder toolkit which is designed to help stakeholders share key information and messages around what employers need to know and how they can get ready for the changes coming over the next few months.
This outlines the key changes coming into effect, how you can help them prepare, key messages, and suggested newsletter, website and social media content and assets.
For Bookkeepers
ICB is pleased to support DBT in its attempt to reach as many people as possible. They should be read in conjunction with the projected timelines for implementation detailed in the Policy Paper ‘Implementing the Plan to Make Work Pay and Employment Rights Act’. Plus, we encourage you to view the updated Employment Rights Act 2025 factsheets.
We do comment that none of the resources refer to the fact the changes do not always apply UK-wide and this is a source of confusion. For example:
- The increases to the National Minimum and Living Wages rates do apply UK-wide, as do the changes to Statutory Sick Pay; however
- Changes to Statutory Paternity Leave only apply if the employee has a contract written under Great British legislation. If the contract is written under Northern Irish legislation, then the changes do not apply
Stay tuned to the monthly Wages Wednesday webinars for updates as they apply to you and clear guidance as to where they apply.
