Talking to staff about the Employment Rights Act 2025

Understand how the upcoming Employment Rights Act changes affect you and your staff, and download our handout to help you talk about the changes with your staff members.

Last reviewed on 25 March 2026
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 53233
Contents
  1. Be clear on the details 
  2. Create a communication plan 
  3. Download our staff handout
  4. Summarise discussions for your governors/trustees
  5. Use our model policies to help you prepare for the changes

FusionHR advised us on this article and staff handout. The Key is a minority investor in FusionHR.

Be clear on the details 

The Employment Rights Act 2025 focuses on improving working conditions, and giving your staff members more say around the decisions that affect them. 

The act became law on 18 December 2025 and its implementation is happening in phases over a 2-year period. This means that the different changes will come into effect at different times.

The act will introduce changes around:

  • Employee pay and time off work
  • Employee dismissal and zero-hours contracts
  • Workplace handling of issues such as sexual harassment
  • Trade union rights and industrial action
  • The establishment of a School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB)

Share our summary with your senior leadership team (SLT), so that everyone understands the scope and details of the employment law changes. 

As these changes take place over an extended period, it’s a good idea to put together a phased timeline