The employment rights changes taking effect from 6 April 2026 will matter for employers of all sizes. While many of the wider reforms introduced by the Employment Rights Act 2025 will not arrive until 2027, some important new “day one” rights will come into force much sooner. That means employers should be preparing now. The original article focuses on new rights from 6 April 2026, including SSP, paternity and parental leave, and bereaved partners paternity leave. The warm, steady and reassuring tone here is shaped to match AMMU’s “New Chapter for Ammu” style.
Statutory sick pay (SSP)
One of the most immediate employment rights changes relates to statutory sick pay.
At the moment, entitlement to SSP starts from the fourth day of sickness. However, that three-day waiting period will be removed.
The lower earnings threshold, currently £125 per week, will also be removed. As a result, all employees will become eligible for SSP.
From 6 April 2026, employees who are off sick will receive the lower of the SSP rate and 80% of their average weekly earnings. These specific changes are set out in the source article.
For employers, this may mean more SSP claims need to be managed. In some cases, concerns about misuse may also be raised. That will need to be handled carefully.
Practical steps can still be taken. For example, employees can be asked to check in regularly while off sick. Return-to-work interviews can also be used to support good absence management.
Paternity and ordinary parental leave
Paternity leave and ordinary parental leave will both become “day one” rights from 6 April 2026.
Currently, paternity leave is only available after 26 weeks of employment. That qualifying period will be removed for the leave itself. However, the qualifying requirement for paternity pay will not change.
Unpaid ordinary parental leave is currently only available after one year of employment. That restriction will also be removed.
In addition, the restriction on an employee taking paternity leave after taking shared parental leave will be lifted. Those changes are all covered in the original piece.
For employers, the key point is that eligibility for leave will begin much earlier. Policies and internal processes should therefore be reviewed before April arrives.
Bereaved partners paternity leave
A further statutory entitlement will also begin from 6 April 2026.
Bereaved partners paternity leave has been introduced by separate legislation. It will also be a new “day one” right.
There is no statutory pay requirement.
The new leave can be taken by an employee who loses the mother of a child within the first year of the child’s life. Up to 52 weeks of leave can be taken, depending on when the bereavement occurs.
The same leave will be available where a child has been adopted and the primary adopter dies. This section is drawn directly from the source article.
This is a significant change. Although it will hopefully apply only rarely, it should still be understood in advance so that it can be handled with care and sensitivity if needed.
Why employers should review this now
These new rights may appear straightforward at first glance. However, they are likely to affect payroll, policies, absence procedures and line manager awareness.
Some changes will create new entitlements from day one of employment. Others will alter how sickness absence is managed in practice.
That is why it makes sense to review the detail now, before the new rules take effect. A little preparation here can help avoid confusion later.
Government factsheets covering SSP and paternity and parental leave changes are referenced in the original article for anyone wanting to explore the detail further.
If you would like to talk through how these employment rights changes could affect your business, get in touch.