Twelve-month Legal Timeline

September 2025

• The remaining provisions of The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (Commencement No 4) Regulations 2025 are due to come into force on 1st September 2025. This includes measures creating a new offence of failing to prevent fraud (as far as they are not yet in force).
• As of the 1st of July 2025, the Employment Rights Bill (ERB) is due to receive Royal Assent in September 2025 in accordance with the Roadmap on Implementing the Employment Rights Bill. The following measures contained in the Bill are scheduled to take effect at Royal Assent or soon afterwards:
  • Repeal of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023
  • Repeal of the great majority of the Trade Union Act 2016 (some provisions will be repealed via commencement order at a later date)
  • Removing the 10 year ballot requirement for trade union political funds
  • Simplifying industrial action notices and industrial action ballot notices
  • Protections against dismissal for taking industrial action 
• HMRC has issued revised advisory fuel rates from 1st September 2025, which includes a new public charging rate for fully electric cars. The advisory fuel rates should only be used where employers either reimburse employees for business travel in company cars or require employees to repay the cost of fuel used for personal travel.
• Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025 was published on 1st September. There have been no changes to Part 3: Safer Recruitment other than the removal of references to TRA checks which have been updated to the DfE’s Check a teacher’s record (see para 266).
• On the 3rd September 2025, The Employment Rights Bill has passed its 3rd reading in the House of Lords. The Bill will now go back to the House of Commons which will discuss and vote on the various amendments made by the House of Lords. This is scheduled for Monday 15th September 2025. The main amendments are as follows: 
  • Guaranteed Hours to Zero-Hour Workers: The obligation to give guaranteed hours to zero hour workers only if they ask for it, rather than irrespective of whether they ask for it.
  • Day One Unfair Dismissal: Instead of 'day one' unfair dismissal, a six-month period with no unfair dismissal rights (other than for automatic unfair reasons), followed by an 18-month 'initial period of employment' with the light-touch unfair dismissal rules in place.
  • Ban on Dismissal and Re-Engagement: Rather than making nearly all 'fire and rehire' dismissals unlawful, the amended Bill bans 'fire and rehire' dismissals where the proposed contract change relates to pay, pension, hours of work, or holiday entitlement. Where the proposed changes relate to something else, any dismissal for refusing to agree to the changes can still be fair as long as the employer has been 'reasonable', following a six-point checklist (i.e., extensive consultation and offering inducements).
• On 5th September 2025, the EHRC has shared its updated statutory Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations with the Minister for Women and Equalities for approval. Following ministerial approval, the government must lay the draft Code before Parliament for 40 days before it can be in force.
• Certain provisions of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Commencement No 3 and Transitional and Savings Provisions) Regulations 2025 come into force on 5th September 2025 and 17th November 2025. These Regulations also make transitional and savings provisions.

Case Law

• Equity v Talent Systems Europe Ltd (Trading as Spotlight) [2025] EWHC 2254 - The High Court rejected a union's challenge that a casting directory (Spotlight), holding that Spotlight did not qualify as an 'employment agency' within the meaning of section 13(2) of the Employment Agencies Act 1973 and therefore was not subject to the restrictions in EAA 1973. The The court held that Spotlight’s casting directory could be seen as a marketing tool, enabling performers to promote themselves, rather than providing services ‘for the purpose’ of finding individual’s employment. Equity has announced that it will seek to appeal the High Court judgment.