Greetings Friends of Oury Clark,

The Employment Rights Act is the biggest shake‑up in employment law in decades – and employers – this is your cue to act now, not wait it out.

From April 2026, family friendly rights jump forward: paternity leave and unpaid parental leave become day one rights, no service required. Statutory Sick Pay also gets an upgrade – payable from day one, with broader eligibility, and calculated at 80% of weekly earnings or £123.25 (whichever is lower). April 2026 will also strengthen whistleblowing protections, particularly around reports of sexual harassment. From October 2026, employers have a proactive duty to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment, shifting from reactive to preventative, and employers will also face strengthened obligations concerning harassment by third parties.

Then, from 1 January 2027, the classic “fire and rehire” manoeuvre will be heavily restricted. Dismissals linked to forcing through new terms could be automatically unfair, unless your business is genuinely on the financial brink of collapse. Ignoring the Statutory Code of Practice currently in play could boost tribunal awards by up to 25%.

And we’re not done: 2027 also brings a major shift in unfair dismissal rules. In short, employees will be able to bring claims much earlier in the employment relationship, will have more time to do so, and compensation will no longer be capped – significantly increasing potential exposure for employers.

This is only the tip of the iceberg – there are many more changes under the Act that will affect UK employers, far more than we can cover here. If your policies, contracts or procedures are still living in 2023, now’s the moment for a refresh.
Want help untangling it all? Our employment team has you covered.

EMI Options: An Unexpected Win for Growing Companies

If we’re honest, it’s not often that tax policy gives us something to smile about, but this time, we think the news is worth a grin.

A number of generous updates to the EMI (Enterprise Management Incentives) scheme were announced in the Autumn Budget and will come into effect from April 2026. While they didn’t grab headlines, they represent one of the biggest expansions of EMI in years – and could open the door for many more companies to take advantage of the UK’s most tax-efficient employee share scheme.

Bottom line: If you were previously “too big” for EMI, you may now be in. Contact us to check whether your business could benefit.

Is MTD Putting Your Head in a Spin? Let Us Remove the Pain.

With Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD ITSA) going live in April 2026 for sole traders and landlords earning over £50,000, it’s easy to worry this is yet another HMRC curveball. But rest assured – this is exactly where we step in.

In other words, you don’t have to wrestle with new software, new rules or new admin rhythms. We handle the registration, the setup, the filings, the compliance – the whole lot. Let’s talk.

Employment Law Podcast Without BS

To learn more about the Employment Act changes, Ross Meadows, Jessica Bass and Andy Oury dive into “What The Employment Rights Act Means for Businesses”.

Upcoming Trips

Get in touch to have a chat with our team when they visit:

• USA & Canada – 11-15th May 2026 (Amy Enslin & Simon Walsh)
  • Including San Francisco & Vancouver.
• Canada – 18th-22nd May 2026 (Emma Florentin-Lee & Olivia French)
  • Including Toronto & Montreal.
• Australia & New Zealand – 25th May-5th June 2026 (Zara Porter, Jessica Bass & Paul Webster)
  • Including Sydney, Melbourne, Sunshine Coast, Perth, Brisbane, Auckland, Queenstown & Christchurch.

Find us on LinkedIn to keep up to date with our travels and any upcoming events.