Changes to sick pay, redundancy rules and harassment protections will change how property firms manage employees.
9th Mar 20260 716 1 minute read Simon Cairnes
Estate agents have been urged to prepare for sweeping employment law reforms affecting recruitment, workplace policies and staff management in the UK.
Propertymark says the changes, many of which emanate from the Employment Rights Act 2025, will begin rolling out from April 2026 and could have significant implications for agencies employing negotiators, property managers, administrative staff and apprentices.
Several changes will come in from 6th April, 2026. These include making paternity leave and ordinary unpaid parental leave a ‘day one right’, meaning employees can give notice from the first day of employment.
The restriction preventing paternity leave from being taken after shared parental leave will also be removed. If the mother or primary adopter dies within the child’s first year, eligible partners will be able to take up to 52 weeks of unpaid bereaved partner’s paternity leave.
Statutory sick payStatutory sick pay will be another area of change, with payments beginning from the first day of illness and the lower earnings limit removed.
The maximum collective redundancy ‘protective award’ for employers who fail to consult staff will double from 90 days’ pay to 180 days’ pay.
Sexual harassment disclosures will also be covered under whistleblowing legislation, giving workers protection from detriment or unfair dismissal.
Gender pay gapEmployers will be encouraged to introduce gender pay gap and menopause action plans, initially voluntary before becoming mandatory in 2027.
A new Fair Work Agency, due to launch on 7 April 2026, will act as a central body for employment rights enforcement and have powers to inspect business premises.
Further changes expected later in the year include stronger duties on employers to prevent sexual harassment, liability for harassment by third parties such as customers, and employment tribunal time limits increasing from three months to six.
NDAsThere are also planned changes to non-disclosure agreements, which will stop employers using NDAs to prevent workers from reporting harassment or discrimination.
In 2027, the Government is planning to introduce day-one protection from unfair dismissal, alongside rules restricting so-called “fire and rehire” practices.
Propertymark is advising agents to familiarise themselves with the coming reforms and seek specialist HR or legal advice where necessary. Further details are available through Government guidance and on Propertymark’s website.
Tagsemployment law 9th Mar 20260 716 1 minute read Simon Cairnes Share Facebook X LinkedIn Share via Email
