Earlier this year, we sat down with the team from Dawson HR to record a podcast about the upcoming Employment Rights Bill and what it could mean for employers.
With April approaching, we caught up with Zoe again for a quick update. Are there any developments since that conversation? And are there any changes coming in imminently that employers should be aware of?
Is employment law changing in April 2026?
Yes - April is the key date for several important updates.
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) - April 2026 changes
From April:
- SSP will become a day one right. The current three-day waiting period will be removed.
- The lower earnings limit will be removed, making SSP more accessible to lower earners.
- Employees will receive either the statutory weekly rate (which will increase in April) or 90% of their average weekly earnings, depending on eligibility.
This is a significant change and one employers should be aware of.
Paternity Leave - April 2026 changes
Paternity leave will also become a day one right.
Currently, employees need 26 weeks' service to qualify. From April, that qualifying period will be removed.
Key points:
- Paternity leave remains at two weeks.
- It can be taken as either:
- Two consecutive weeks, or
- Two separate one-week blocks.
- Pay will be the statutory weekly rate (increasing in April) or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever applies.
- Notice requirements will still apply.
- This applies to babies due on or after 6 April.
We discussed on the podcast that it will be interesting to see how this works in practice.
Unpaid Parental Leave - April 2026 changes
Unpaid parental leave will also become a day one right (currently it requires one year's service).
This allows:
- Up to 18 weeks per child (up to the child's 19th birthday)
- A maximum of four weeks per year
- The leave is intended to spend time with the child
Although it's not widely used, this is still an important update for employers to note.
What should employers be doing now?
With only a few weeks until April, what action should employers be taking?
The key thing right now is:
- Ensure managers are aware of the changes
- Prepare for potential conversations around family leave
If there are no employees currently planning family leave, there's no urgent structural change required, but awareness and preparation are important.
Do employers need to update their policies?
Interestingly, not necessarily!
If you only offer statutory entitlements:
- There's no need to create or update detailed standalone policies
- The best source of up-to-date information is the government website
- You could have a simple family leave policy that directs employees to gov.uk
Creating detailed internal policies that simply restate statutory rights can create unnecessary admin and ongoing updating requirements. Let the government maintain the statutory detail.
Need advice on how these changes could affect your business?
The Dawson HR team can help you understand what the new rules mean in practice and make sure your business is prepared.