If you employ people in the UK, the Employment Rights Act 2025 is not background noise; it is a live set of employment law reforms that will change how you hire, manage, and retain staff.

In this episode, we sit down with Louise Brenland, who leads the employment law team at Warners Solicitors, to translate the headlines into practical reality for employers. We talk through what has already changed from April 2026, including the new Fair Work Agency and what day-one statutory sick pay means for absence management. We then unpack the biggest risk shift: unfair dismissal moving from a two-year qualifying period to six months from January, alongside the move towards unlimited compensation, and why that forces a rethink of probation, performance processes, and documentation.

Looking ahead, we map the reforms expected through late 2026 and 2027, including extended employment tribunal time limits, tougher sexual harassment duties, third-party harassment risk, and stricter expectations around flexible working. Louise also explains why relying on AI and quick online answers can backfire when the law is changing fast, and why manager training is a necessity, not a nice-to-have.

If you found this useful, subscribe to Legal Chat, share the episode with a colleague, and leave us a review. What change is most likely to disrupt your workplace this year?