New Access to Sick Pay and Parental Leave for Workers in Great Britain

New provisions in the Employment Rights Act took effect from 6 April 2026. These include:

• Employees will now be entitled to receive Statutory Sick Pay from their first day of sickness absence, instead of waiting until the fourth day.

• In addition, new fathers and partners have also gained the right to paternity leave from their first day in a new job, instead of needing to wait six months.

• Day one rights to unpaid parental leave have also begun. Previously, parents had to wait a year before qualifying.

• Parents are also granted a new right to take Bereaved Partner’s Paternity Leave following the death of a child’s mother or primary adopter.

• The launch of the Fair Work Agency, which combines three separate agencies to enforce employment rights more effectively and efficiently.

Employers will need to make sure that their sickness and employment policies are updated to reflect the new laws. Employers who operate in Great Britain as well as Northern Ireland will need to make sure their policies and payroll software correctly account for the employee’s location.

If you need any assistance with managing payroll under the new requirements, please let us know. We would be happy to help you.

See: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-of-workers-get-new-access-to-sick-pay-and-parental-leave