What’s Coming Up / UK
What’s changing for employers in the UK.
44 rule changes, deadlines, events and dates for the UK, checked against official sources and updated every Monday.
Updated Monday, October 19, 2026
Type
44 items
Already in effect or under way
8 itemsChanges that have started and still need action.
- 15Oct ’26New real Living Wage rates: £14.10 UK, £15.45 London (voluntary)The Living Wage Foundation raised its voluntary real Living Wage by 65p to £14.10 an hour across the UK (up 4.8%) and £15.45 in London (up 4.4%); nearly 17,000…
- 9Oct ’26Poor workforce health estimated to cost the UK £241 billion a year (insurer research)Vendor research: health insurer Vitality's Global Health Index 2026, produced with RAND Europe, estimates £241 billion in lost output a year (about 8% of GDP), with 66%…
- 30Sep ’26Government weighing new rules on workplace monitoring and AI management toolsA GOV.UK consultation (July 8 to September 30, 2026) asked how to ensure fair, transparent use of technology that monitors, manages or makes decisions about workers…
- 24Sep ’26Nearly 1 in 3 low-paid workers have no savingsIn a Living Wage Foundation survey of 2,000+ UK workers paid below the real Living Wage, 31% had no savings (up from 24% in 2025), only 10% could cover an unexpected…
- 3Sep ’266.3 million UK workers in insecure jobs; short-notice shifts cost hundreds a monthThe Living Wage Foundation's "No guarantees" report finds nearly 1 in 5 UK workers are in insecure work; among variable-hours workers polled, 54% get less than a week's…
- 2Sep ’26Gender pensions gap: retired women's income about a third lowerTUC analysis says retired women's income is 32.9% (more than £7,000 a year) lower than men's, and cites the Pensions Commission's May 2026 interim finding that up to 19…
- 23Jul ’26More fit notes now cover long absencesGPs in England issued 2.97 million fit notes in January to March 2026, flat year on year, but 40.9% covered 5 weeks or longer, up from 40.0%, pointing to longer sickness…
- 9Jul ’26Nearly 1 in 5 adults now use AI chatbots for mental health supportIn Mind-commissioned polling of 2,019 UK adults (Yonder, June 2026), 18% had used AI chatbots for mental health or wellbeing support in the past year, and 60% of those…
October 2026
2 items- 30OctDuty to take "all reasonable steps" to prevent sexual harassment, including by third partiesFrom October 30, employers in Great Britain must take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of employees and must not permit harassment by third parties such…
- 30OctTrade union access and recognition changesAn Employment Rights Act 2025 package strengthens unions' right of access to workplaces, reforms the recognition process, adds new protections for union representatives…
November 2026
9 items- 1NovHSE annual work-related ill health statistics dueHSE's 2025/26 Great Britain statistics are due in November; last year's showed 964,000 workers with work-related stress, depression or anxiety and 22.1 million working…
- 2NovNational Fertility Awareness WeekFertility Network UK's awareness week on fertility and fertility treatment.
- 2NovTalk Money WeekThe Money and Pensions Service's annual week to get people talking openly about money.
- 6NovUK's Best Workplaces 2027 (Great Place to Work UK)Great Place to Work UK's main 2027 list requires registration by November 6 and completed certification (an employee survey) by November 27; the list goes live March 10…
- 15NovRoad Safety WeekBrake's annual road safety campaign; the 2026 theme is "Safe people on the move."
- 16NovSelf Care WeekThe Self Care Forum's national week; the 2026 theme is "Mind & Body."
- 19NovCarers Rights DayCarers UK's day to help unpaid carers recognize their role and know their rights, including at work.
- 19NovREBA Future Forum 2026One-day event from the Reward & Employee Benefits Association for senior reward and benefits professionals, themed "Sharper Insight.
- 20NovWestminster Employment Forum: The future for AI in employment in the UKPolicy conference on how AI is changing UK employment, listed in the Westminster Forum Projects conference diary.
January 2027
5 items- 1JanDry January®Alcohol Change UK's month-long alcohol-free challenge; the 2027 campaign page was not yet live when checked.
- 1JanFire-and-rehire protections and duty to tell workers about union rightsNew protections will restrict dismissing and re-engaging staff to force through contract changes, and employers will have to inform workers of their right to join a…
- 1JanUnfair dismissal protection after 6 months' service; compensation cap removedEmployees in Great Britain will be able to claim unfair dismissal after 6 months' service instead of 2 years, and the cap on compensatory awards will be removed.
- 8JanConsultation on employment status reform closesThe Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (the renamed Department for Business and Trade) proposes a presumption of worker status, less weight on…
- 8JanWestminster Forum: Next steps for workplace equality reform affecting women in the UKPolicy conference on upcoming workplace equality reforms affecting women, timely for the harassment duty and gender equality and menopause action plans.
February 2027
2 items- 1FebRoSPA Health and Safety Awards 2027The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents' awards recognize health and safety management across sectors, with a London ceremony on June 29; the page shows a…
- 4FebTime to Talk DayMind and Rethink Mental Illness's day for conversations about mental health; it is usually the first Thursday in February (February 5 in 2026), but the 2027 date had not…
March 2027
3 items- 11MarREBA Global Benefits Summit 2027Invitation-only summit for senior reward and benefits leaders with multinational responsibility, focused on multinational benefits strategy, governance and ROI.
- 12MarUK's Best Workplaces for Wellbeing 2027 (Great Place to Work UK)Open to certified organizations with at least 10 UK employees and a score of 65% or more on the Wellbeing Index (Analyse or Accelerate tier, or surveying in several…
- 30MarGender pay gap reports due, with optional gender equality and menopause action plansEmployers with 250 or more employees must publish gender pay gap data and can now voluntarily submit an action plan on gender equality and supporting employees through…
April 2027
8 items- 1AprAnnual uprating of Statutory Sick Pay and statutory family leave payStatutory Sick Pay has been payable from the first day of sickness, with no lower earnings limit, since April 6, 2026.
- 1AprDay-one right to up to 2 weeks' bereavement leave, including pregnancy lossEmployees will get a statutory, unpaid, day-one right to up to 2 weeks' bereavement leave after the death of a close family member or a pregnancy loss before 24 weeks…
- 1AprNational Living Wage and National Minimum Wage riseUK minimum wage rates change every April 1 (now £12.71 an hour for workers 21 and over).
- 1AprStress Awareness MonthThe Stress Management Society's annual April campaign; 2027 details had not been published when checked.
- 6AprCash ISA annual limit cut to £12,000 for under-65sThe annual amount people under 65 can pay into cash ISAs (tax-free savings accounts) falls to £12,000.
- 6AprMandatory payrolling of company cars and medical benefitsEmployers must report income tax and Class 1A National Insurance in real time through payroll for company cars, car fuel, vans, van fuel and employer-provided medical…
- 6AprUnused pension funds become subject to inheritance taxMost unused pension funds and death benefits will count toward a person's estate for UK inheritance tax; death-in-service benefits paid from registered pension schemes…
- 27AprThe Health & Safety Event and The Workplace Event 2027Co-located trade shows for health and safety and workplace/facilities professionals, listed on the NEC venue calendar.
On the horizon
7 itemsBigger changes later in 2027 and beyond, to plan for now.
- 1Jan ’27Limits on NDAs in harassment and discrimination casesRegulations will prevent the misuse of non-disclosure agreements to silence workers in cases of workplace harassment or discrimination.
- 1Jan ’27Pension Schemes Act 2026: value-for-money ratings and default retirement income optionsThe Act (Royal Assent April 29, 2026) brings a value-for-money framework for defined contribution workplace schemes (late 2026 to early 2027) and default retirement…
- 1Jan ’27Right to guaranteed hours, reasonable shift notice and short-notice paymentsWorkers on zero or low hours will gain a right to guaranteed hours reflecting hours regularly worked, reasonable notice of shifts, and payment when shifts are canceled…
- 1Jan ’27Stronger dismissal protection for pregnant women and new mothersThe Employment Rights Act 2025 will enhance protection against dismissal for pregnant employees, those on maternity leave and new mothers returning to work.
- 1Mar ’27Mandatory gender equality and menopause action plansEmployers with 250 or more employees will have to publish action plans on gender equality and supporting employees through menopause, building on the voluntary plans…
- 1Sep ’27Flexible working: new reasonableness test and required consultationEmployers will be able to refuse a flexible working request only when it is reasonable to do so on one of the 8 statutory business grounds, after a required meeting with…
- 6Apr ’29National Insurance relief on salary-sacrifice pension contributions capped at £2,000Pension contributions made through salary sacrifice above £2,000 a year will no longer be exempt from National Insurance, raising costs for employers and for employees…
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