Being April ready –5 top tips on preparing your business for the upcoming legal changes

This is a guest blog by REC business parter, JMW 

As April approaches, there are a number of significant changes coming into force under the Employment Rights Act 2025.  Taking steps to prepare your business now will help ensure that you mitigate risk and have appropriate procedures in place to comply.

What are the key changes?

Changes are being brought into force this April under the Employment Rights Act 2025 (ERA).  These include for example:

• Statutory Sick Pay changes - the three-day waiting period currently in place will be removed, meaning SSP can be claimed from the first day of sick leave. Additionally, the Lower Earnings Limit will be removed, widening the scope of who can claim SSP;
• Statutory Paternity Leave and Unpaid Parental Leave will become day-one rights (instead of requiring a specific period of service);
• Updated whistleblowing protection will apply.  Sexual harassment will become a ‘qualifying disclosure’ under whistleblowing legislation, ensuring employees who report incidents of sexual harassment are legally protected in this respect; 
• A new enforcement body, the Fair Work Agency, will be introduced; and
• The collective redundancy protective award will double to 180 days’ full pay for each affected employee.

This is not an exhaustive list of all ERA changes.  Additionally, there are other changes to be aware of this April, including to tax legislation and the usual annual increases to certain rates (such as the National Minimum Wage) to factor in.

Top Tips on preparing your business 

1.    Update your sickness and payroll procedures 

Check and update your current sickness policies and contract wording where needed. Additionally, ensure those who manage your payroll are aware of the changes and systems are adjusted to apply SSP from day one.  

2.    Knowledge is power! Ensure staff are appropriately trained

Consider whether your staff (in particular, managers) are up to speed with upcoming legal changes or if training is needed.  

3.    Review other internal policies and risk assessments 

Bearing in mind the family leave changes mentioned above, steps should be taken to review internal policies and to revise any outdated obligations.  Similarly, given the whistleblower protection changes, it would be sensible to review existing risk assessments and anti-harassment policies.   

4.      Conduct internal audits and seek legal advice where appropriate

As the Fair Work Agency is expected to establish a more proactive approach to the enforcement of employee protections, consider auditing existing systems and correcting any potential regulatory issues now.   Seek legal advice where appropriate and on areas of uncertainty.

5. Client relationships -  educate and revisit contractual arrangements where needed

By being up to speed with the legal changes, you can use this as a reason to educate and support clients.  Also, consider your contractual arrangements with them and if any areas need re-negotiating.

Need some additional legal support? JMW is here to help

If you need support with preparing for legal changes, please contact either Emma James, Paul Chamberlain or Simon Bloch at JMW Solicitors LLP 

Learn more about JMW