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Annual update to awards for injury to feelings
In respect of discrimination claims presented to the Employment Tribunal on or after 06 April 2026, the Vento bands which give the ranges for injury to feelings awards are as follows.
- Lower band – £1,300 to £12,600 (less serious cases);
- Middle band – £12,600 to £37,700 (cases that do not merit an award in the upper band); and
- Upper band – £37,700 to £62,900 (most serious cases) with the most exceptional cases capable of exceeding £62,900.
Employment Rights Act 2025
A significant phase of the new Employment Rights Act 2025 will come into effect as of 06 April 2026.
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
Statutory Sick Pay will become payable from the first day of illness, instead of the fourth day.
The lower earnings limit has also been removed so that SSP is available to all employees, regardless of earnings.
The amount of SSP payable will be the lower of the statutory rate (£123.25) and 80% of the employee’s normal weekly earnings.
Day one right to paternity leave and unpaid parental leave
From 06 April 2026, paternity leave and will become a day one right, allowing employees to take leave from day one of their employment. Previously, for someone to take paternity leave they must have worked with their current employer for 26 weeks before this right is available to them.
The 26-week qualifying period for statutory paternity pay remains unchanged.
Parental leave, or unpaid parental leave, will also become a day one right. Currently employees had to wait one year before they become eligible to this right.
Collective redundancy protective award increased
The maximum protective award available where an employer fails to consult employees during a collective redundancy process will double from 90 days’ pay to 180 days’ full pay, per employee which increases the maximum period for which compensation can be awarded from 06 April 2026.
It is a requirement for employers to consult when making 20 or more employees redundant within one establishment within a 90-day period. This change is aimed at employers to follow statutory process and carry out proper consultation before carrying out collective redundancy exercises.
There are further changes which are currently in discussions as the consultation requirements currently are only applicable when making 20 or more employees redundant within one establishment. The Employment Rights Act 2025 will introduce new protections so that employers will be required to undertake collective consultancy and notification whenever they make a number of redundancies across the entire organisation.
The Government has launched a consultation on what the new threshold might look like, and this could vary depending on the employer’s size.
Whistleblowing protections for sexual harassment disclosures
From 06 April 2026, sexual harassment will become a “qualified disclosure” under whistleblowing law.
Employees who report sexual harassment will therefore benefit from legal protection against dismissal or other detrimental treatment for making such disclosures. This change recognises the need to address harassment in the workplace and encourage employees to report misconduct without the fear of retaliation.
Gender pay gap reports and menopause action plans
Employers with 250 or more employees will now need to create equality action plans around menopause and gender pay gaps which will be voluntary from 06 April 2026 but will become mandatory sometime in 2027.
Trade Union recognition
How trade unions can be recognised within a workplace will be simplified from 06 April 2026, an updated code of practice on trade union recognition, is expected to come into force in October 2026 to support this change.
Holiday records
From 06 April 2026, employers must keep records of annual leave and holiday pay, which must include;
- Annual leave taken,
- Annual leave carried over from previous years,
- Holiday pay,
- Payments in lieu of holiday pay.
These records must be kept for a minimum of 6 years from the data it was recorded, and the data must be retained and managed in line with UK GDPR and data protection rules.
Fair Work Agency
On 07 April 2026, the Government will establish a new body the Fair Work Agency (‘FWA’), responsible for overseeing compliance with employment rights. This new agency will be established to tackle unfair wages and general workplace rights for employees which means better enforcement which will be beneficial for working people as well as improving living standards. The FWA will not have its own distinct legal identity but will be a single place where employers and employees can seek help, it will resolve issues supporting employers where they want to comply with the law but also have powers to investigate and take action where employers are not compliant.
Our employment law specialists can help you understand the updated injury to feelings awards, day-one leave rights, redundancy obligations, and whistleblowing protections. Get in touch today for practical, tailored guidance.
This article was written by Gabrielle Scriven.