UK enacts Employment Rights Act extending parental leave and sick pay
Change
UK enacted the Employment Rights Act, instituting day-one parental leave rights and expanding statutory sick pay from April 2026 to cover about 4.7 million women, including roughly 830,000 newly eligible low-paid workers.
Why it matters
The law creates binding legal obligations that limit employers' ability to exclude low-paid staff from statutory sick pay and to delay parental leave entitlements. Employers must revise payroll, leave administration and workplace policies to comply with the new leave and sick-pay rules and related employer duties such as menopause action plans.
Implications
- • Employers must update payroll systems and pay calculations to provide statutory sick pay to workers earning below £125 per week starting in April 2026.
- • Employers must grant fathers and partners two weeks' paid paternity leave at either £187.18 per week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.
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Source
Topics
Governance Policy & Regulation Human Rights Regulatory Actions Compliance Public Health