A Practical Guide for Businesses Managing Restructures and Redundancies Redundancy is already one of the most difficult responsibilities employers face. For many business owners and managers, the challenge is not simply commercial. It is balancing operational pressures while making sure the process is handled fairly, legally, and professionally. From April 2026, changes to collective redundancy rules under the Employment Rights Act 2025 will increase the importance of getting

What Employers Need to Know About the New Whistleblowing Law Changes from April 2026 Bearman HR | Supporting Businesses in Kent Many small business owners assume whistleblowing only applies to large corporate organisations. In reality, even one employee raising concerns about harassment, discrimination, safety, unethical behaviour, or workplace misconduct can create serious legal and reputational risk if handled incorrectly. From April 2026, whistleblowing protections in the

From April 2026, Unpaid parental leave changes April 2026 becomes a day one right, meaning small business employers may need to manage parental leave requests much earlier in the employment relationship. Introduced under the Employment Rights Act 2025 , this change removes the current one year qualifying period and allows eligible employees to access unpaid parental leave from their first day of employment. While the reform is not a dramatic overhaul, it does affect how emplo

From April 2026, paternity leave becomes a day one right, meaning small business employers may receive paternity leave requests much earlier in the employment relationship than ever before. These changes, introduced under the Employment Rights Act 2025 , simplify entitlement for employees but place greater responsibility on employers to be clear, organised and consistent from the very start of employment. While the reform is not dramatic, it does change when conversations hap

Statutory Sick Pay is changing from April 2026, and while it is not a compliance nightmare, it will affect how small business employers manage sickness absence from the very first day. Changes introduced under the Employment Rights Act 2025 remove waiting days and expand eligibility for SSP, meaning more employees will qualify and payments will start sooner. For employers, this reinforces the importance of clear sickness absence policies, accurate records and consistent proce

The Employment Rights Act 2025 is now law, and for small business employers it brings a series of important employment law changes starting from April 2026. After months of consultation and speculation, the focus is shifting from what might happen to what businesses actually need to prepare for. While the changes will be phased in over time, early reforms around day one employment rights, Statutory Sick Pay, family leave and enforcement mean now is the right moment for emplo