The Labour Party’s ‘Make Work Pay’ document was published before the 2024 General Election. It has been implemented in stages by the Employment Rights Act 2025 and the implementation timetable has recently been updated. ICB points to this which shows what employers have implemented and what is still left.
Ahead of the 2024 General Election, the Labour Party’s ‘Make Work Pay’ highlighted the trade union and employment law reforms that it would implement. When they formed the UK Government these were legislated by the Employment Rights Act 2025 which, in turn, updates the primary employment legislation contained in the Employment Rights Act 1996. It also made updates to other primary legislation, for example, the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.
The implementation timetable was updated on 25 September 2026 showing the reforms coming into effect in October 2026:
- 01 October 2026 – the time limit for bringing a claim to the Employment Tribunal will increase from 3 to 6 months (breaches of contract claims take place later in Scotland);
- 30 October 2026 – trade union measures and employer obligations towards the prevention of harassment are implemented; and
- In October 2026 – secondary legislation will be in place to establish the Fair Pay Agreement Adult Social Care Negotiating Body. This will apply in England
ICB’s monthly Wages Wednesday webinars will always point members to the relevant information.
For Bookkeepers
Whilst the 2025 legislation is important, do note the employment law provisions are inserted into the 1996 legislation which remains the ‘go-to’ place for employment rights. The 1996 Act applies where a contract is written under this legislation, therefore, does not apply in Northern Ireland. The SSP reforms from the start of this tax year DID apply UK-wide, though this was not the original intention.
The updated timeline is useful, now only to show what will happen but also to remind us of the reforms we have already accommodated, for example the day 1 right to Statutory Paternity and Unpaid Parental Leave from the start of tax year 2026/27.