New research by workplace expert Acas shows that changes to sick pay, paternity leave and unfair dismissal will pose the greatest challenges for businesses under new rules.
The YouGov survey, commissioned by Acas, asked employers which changes in the Employment Rights Act 2025 will be the hardest to adopt for their organisation.
Nearly 1 in 3 (30%) employers said that paying statutory sick pay from the first day of illness would be the hardest. More than one quarter (27%) said it would be the right to take paternity leave from the first day of employment.
New unfair dismissal protections, reducing the qualifying period from 2 years to 6 months, were also ranked among the top concerns (23%).
The valuable insights gained from the results will help Acas target its support for employers where they need it the most. Acas has already updated its advice on probation periods to reflect the new law changes on unfair dismissals.
Baroness Maggie Jones, Acas Chair, said:
"The reforms in the Employment Rights Act are the biggest shake-up to employment law in a generation, and it is vital that employers get up to speed quickly.
"The new day one rights on sick pay and paternity are already in effect and new protections against unfair dismissals are set to come in next year.
"Acas has updated its advice on probations to reflect the new changes on unfair dismissals, which is a significant change in the law. Businesses that get on top of all the changes early can prevent costly disputes from happening."
From 1 January 2027, protection from unfair dismissal will become a right after 6 months of being in a job. Currently, someone must have worked for their employer for 2 years before claiming unfair dismissal.
The limit on the amount of compensation for unfair dismissal will also be removed.
A probation period is a time at the start of employment to check if someone is suitable for a job.
There is no legal right to have a probation period, but some employers may be thinking about reducing the period to less than 6 months before the law changes on 1 January 2027. However, this does not avoid legal risks. Employees still have protections during their probation such as:
- discrimination
- whistleblowing
- breach of contract
Probation periods should also be tailored to the job. Probations of 6 months or less might not be appropriate for all roles. For example, technical or specialist roles might need longer for training and assessments.
Dismissing an employee during probation should be a last resort. Employers should consider other steps such as:
- extending a probation period
- using performance management to help someone improve
Find out more about:
Media enquiries
Background notes
- Acas commissioned YouGov to poll employers and employees in a representative sample of British businesses. The surveys were carried out online and the total sample size was 1,050 senior decision makers. Fieldwork was undertaken from 27 April to 6 May 2026. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc, have been weighted, and are representative of British business size and region.
- Respondents were asked: Which 3, if any, of the following changes outlined in the Employment Rights Act 2025 do you think will be the hardest to adopt? [Please select up to 3 options]
The results were:- Workers being able to take paternity leave from their first day of employment – 27%
- Workers getting statutory sick pay from their first day off instead of waiting until the fourth day of illness – 30%
- Requiring employers to do more to prevent sexual harassment at work – 17%
- Stronger protections against unfair dismissal for pregnant workers and those returning from maternity leave – 12%
- Making it easier for trade unions to have the right to negotiate with employers over pay and conditions, and to take industrial action – 21%
- Limiting dismiss and re-employ practices (known as 'fire and rehire') that force workers to accept worse terms and conditions – 10%
- Workers being protected from unfair dismissal after 6 months in a job instead of 2 years – 23%
- Giving workers on zero-hour contracts the option of having guaranteed working hours to reflect their usual working hours – 20%
- Making it easier for workers to get flexible working arrangements – 21%
- Stronger financial penalties against employers that fail to consult their workers in large redundancies – 8%
- None of these – 13%
- Don't know – 10%