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Employment rights changes in October 2026: what to know

By CVTailorly Research Desk · Published 16 October 2026

This article was researched with AI assistance and fact-checked by our editor against the sources below.

Two sets of changes under the Employment Rights Act 2025 take effect this month. Since 1 October 2026, workers have twice as long to bring most employment tribunal claims about things that happen on or after that date. From 30 October, employers must take "all reasonable steps" to prevent sexual harassment, and new rules on harassment by third parties such as customers and clients also begin. Changes to unfair dismissal are planned for January 2027.

Key dates and rules

Tribunal time limits: 3 months to 6 months (from 1 October 2026). The GOV.UK Plan to Make Work Pay and Employment Rights Act: timeline update (updated 14 October 2026) says "the time limit for bringing a claim to the Employment Tribunal has increased from 3 to 6 months". The change was brought into force on 1 October 2026 by The Employment Rights Act 2025 (Commencement No. 5 and Transitional Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/954, made 1 September 2026). Regulation 4 says the longer limits do not apply "in any case where the relevant date occurs before 1st October 2026". The relevant date depends on the claim: for an unfair dismissal complaint, for example, the regulations set it as the effective date of termination.

Acas guidance on employment tribunal time limits (last updated 1 October 2026) explains how this works in practice. If your problem happened on or after 1 October 2026, you have 6 months minus 1 day for most claims. If it happened before 1 October 2026, you have 3 months minus 1 day for most claims and 6 months minus 1 day for a few, including statutory redundancy pay and equal pay claims. In Acas's example, if you were paid the wrong amount on 1 October 2026, your time limit ends at 11:59pm on 31 March 2027.

Breach of contract claims in Scotland: expected 9 November 2026. Breach of contract claims in employment tribunals have their own time limit, which runs from when your employment ended. In England and Wales it rose to 6 months for employment ending on or after 1 October 2026, under the Employment Tribunals Extension of Jurisdiction (England and Wales) (Amendment) Order 2026 (SI 2026/759). For Scotland, GOV.UK and Acas say the change will take place on 9 November 2026. At the time of writing, we couldn't find the legislation making that change on legislation.gov.uk, so until then the 3-month limit still applies in Scotland. If your claim is in Scotland and your employment ended around this date, check your deadline with Acas or an adviser.

Sexual harassment (from 30 October 2026). SI 2026/1065 (made 1 October 2026) brings into force on 30 October 2026 section 20 of the Act ("employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment"), section 21 ("harassment by third parties") and section 22 (a power to make provision about "reasonable steps"). The GOV.UK timeline describes these as requiring employers to take "all reasonable steps" to prevent sexual harassment of their employees, "introducing an obligation on employers not to permit the harassment of their employees by third parties", and a power for the minister to make regulations later specifying evidence-based steps employers must take. The Acas Employment Rights Act 2025 page (last updated 1 October 2026) notes that the current law says "reasonable steps", and that employers will be liable for harassment from third parties, "for example customers or clients, unless they have taken all reasonable steps to prevent it".

Trade union changes (30 October 2026). SI 2026/1065 also brings into force, on 30 October 2026, provisions on trade unions' right of access to workplaces, trade union recognition, and facilities for trade union officials, learning representatives and equality representatives, subject to transitional provisions. GOV.UK and Acas also list extended protection against detriment for taking industrial action for 30 October; that measure is not among the provisions commenced by SI 2026/1065, and we couldn't find the instrument that brings it into force on legislation.gov.uk. GOV.UK lists the duty to inform workers of their right to join a trade union for January 2027.

Coming next. The GOV.UK timeline lists for January 2027 the "reduction of unfair dismissal qualifying period to 6 months, for dismissals from 1 January 2027, and uncapping compensatory awards", along with fire and rehire protections. Acas says that from 1 January 2027 employees will be able to claim unfair dismissal after 6 months in a job instead of 2 years, and that protection from unfair dismissal was expected to become a day-one right before the government changed this to a 6-month qualifying period. Guaranteed hours for zero-hours and low-hours workers, flexible working changes and bereavement leave are listed for 2027, and Acas says the government has not announced when in 2027 most of these changes will happen. GOV.UK states: "All future dates remain subject to parliamentary processes and may change."

What it means for jobseekers and workers

You have more time, but the clock still runs. If something goes wrong at work, such as being paid incorrectly, discrimination or dismissal, the longer limit gives you more time to get advice. Acas says the first step is to notify Acas within your time limit, and that going through grievance, disciplinary or appeal procedures "does not change your time limit". When you notify Acas within the limit, the time limit is paused until early conciliation ends.

Check which rules apply to you. If your problem happened before 1 October 2026, the 3-month limit may still apply, and for breach of contract claims in Scotland, until the change takes effect. Acas suggests contacting its helpline for help with time limits, and says you might need legal advice to work out your exact time limit.

Customer-facing roles. If you deal with the public, for example in retail, hospitality or healthcare, the 30 October changes mean that, Acas says, employers will be liable for third-party harassment, such as by customers or clients, unless they have taken all reasonable steps to prevent it. You can ask a prospective employer what policies and reporting routes they have.

Changing jobs? Know the timeline. From January 2027, the government plans to give employees protection from unfair dismissal after 6 months rather than 2 years. If you are weighing up a move, it helps to know when that protection would start in a new role, bearing in mind that future dates could still change.

Keep records. Longer time limits only help if you can show what happened. Keep payslips, contracts, emails and dated notes of incidents.

This article is general information about the law in England, Wales and Scotland as at 16 October 2026, not legal advice. Time limits are strict and depend on your circumstances. Contact the [Acas helpline](https://www.acas.org.uk/contact) or a qualified adviser (for example Citizens Advice, a trade union or a solicitor) to check your own deadline before it runs out.

Sources

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