What is the Employment Rights Act?
The Employment Rights Act 2025 focuses on improving working conditions and giving employees, including staff at your school, more say around the decisions that affect them.
The act became law on 19 December 2025 and its implementation is happening in phases over a 2-year period. This means that the different changes will come into effect at different times (see below for a timeline).
The act includes changes to:
- Employee pay
- Time off work
- Employee dismissal
- Zero-hours contracts
- Workplace handling of issues such as sexual harassment
- Trade union rights and industrial action
Expected in 2027, the government will also establish a School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) to represent support staff