The changing landscape of employment law – what it means for HR
2026 is shaping up to be a hugely significant year for employment law, and it’s never been more important for employers and HR practitioners to have an understanding of their legal obligations towards employees and workers.
But it’s not really the letter of the law you need to know about – it’s how the legal reforms will require changes to employers’ strategies on issues all the way through the employee lifespan, ranging from recruitment to dismissal.
The Wales HR Network’s “People Power” events will kick off on 12 February 2026, when we’ll be holding an expert panel session to discuss the forthcoming legal changes under the Employment Rights Act 2025 (ERA).
What does the ERA cover?
The ERA is a massive piece of legislation bringing together lots of piecemeal changes. We’ve all seen a lot of discussion in the news about the reforms to unfair dismissal law which will give greater protection to employees after 6 months’ employment and are likely to make dismissals and resignations more costly. We’ve also heard a lot of talk about zero-hour contracts, trade union rights, and equality action plans – all hugely important issues.
But did you know that the ERA also makes changes to paternity leave, flexible working, parental leave, statutory sick pay, redundancy rules and whistleblowing law, and employers’ liability for third-party harassment of their employees – and much more?
What does the ERA mean for HR professionals?
The number and nature of these changes, together with the changing landscape of an increasingly overwhelmed Employment Tribunal system which is itself having to change the way it deals with claims, will have major implications for the way employers need to approach their hiring processes, their management of employees, and their decisions around dismissals and disputes.
There will be crucial steps to be taken, including reviewing policies, procedures and contracts of employment, many of which will need to be ready by April 2026, when the first raft of changes will be coming into force. There will be further considerations for the October 2026 changes, followed by reviews of policies and processes ahead of the unfair dismissal changes due the first day of 2027.
Preparing your teams will also be crucial, making sure that training is provided where necessary.
The changing landscape of employment law – an expert panel
In our first “People Power” panel event, we will be discussing this topic, with guest panellists from Darwin Gray, the Football Association of Wales andConfused.com.
In an interesting and potentially daunting time for employers and HR practitioners, the panellists will be discussing how the ERA will change our ways of working, aiming to simplify the employment law reforms and give you both a legal and business leader perspective on the practical and strategic steps you can take to make sure your organisation is ready to face a different employment law landscape in the coming months and years.
Event details:
Thursday 12th February 2026
9am – 11am
Cardiff Business School - Aberconway Building, Colum Dr, Cardiff CF10 3EU
Book your place today: People Power: An Expert Panel Series Tickets, Thu, Feb 12, 2026 at 9:00 AM | Eventbrite
Author: Rachel Ford-Evans, Employment LawPartner at Darwin Gray
