FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
Workplace expert, Acas, commissioned YouGov to ask which changes in the Employment Rights Act 2025 will have the biggest impact on bosses and workers. New rights on sick pay topped the polls for both, followed by new protections on unfair dismissals. Employers ranked new paternity leave rights as their third biggest while workers opted for the new changes on flexible working.
The valuable insights gained from the results will help Acas target its support for workers and bosses where they need it the most.
Niall Mackenzie, Acas Chief Executive, said:
“The Employment Rights Act is a major shake-up in employment law and will impact businesses and workers across the country.
“It’s crucial that both employer and employees get to grips with the new rules, and Acas remains best placed as independent experts helping everyone at work throughout this period of change
“Acas will be working with employers, workers and their representatives on the implementation of the Employment Rights Act and we will be updating our advice and training.”
The survey results revealed that:
- 43 per cent of employers said that workers getting sick pay for the first day of illness rather than the fourth day would have the biggest impact on them and 36 per cent of workers also listed it as their biggest impact too.
- Workers being protected from unfair dismissal after six months in a job instead of two years was the second most-commonly chosen reform with 31 per cent of employers and 30 per cent of employees selecting this.
- For employers, rights for paternity leave from the first day of employment was their third-most important reform (28 per cent), while workers said making it easier to get flexible working arrangements at work (28 per cent) was theirs.
New rules, brought in by the Employment Rights Act, regarding paternity leave and sick pay will come into force on 6th April 2026.
FMJ and Watco Webinar: Meeting compliance in a new culture of accountability
From January 2026, the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) formally separated from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Created under the Building Safety Act 2022 in response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the BSR is designed to raise safety standards across the built environment and introduce a stronger culture of accountability, transparency, and proactive risk management.
This shift places facilities managers in a more strategic safety assurance role – far beyond routine maintenance.
FMJ and Watco are hosting a webinar on 22 April at 11:00am to explore what this new regulatory landscape means for FMs. To register for the webinar click here.
Can’t make it no problem…
Simply register above and after the webinar has been broadcast, we will send you a link to watch the recording.
