UK employment law has gone through its biggest shake-up in a generation. The Employment Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent in December 2025, and changes are being rolled out in phases through 2026 and 2027 — on top of rules that already took effect in 2024, such as the day-one right to request flexible working. Below are the HR and employment law topics employers should have on their radar right now, along with training to help your managers and HR teams stay compliant.
Flexible Working: Now a Day-One Right
Since April 2024, every employee has had the right to request flexible working from their first day of employment — there's no longer a 26-week qualifying period. Employees can make up to two requests in any 12-month period, and employers must respond within two months and consult before refusing. Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, further changes are expected from 2027 that will require employers to show any refusal is reasonable, not just that it falls under one of the existing statutory grounds.
This Flexible Working e-learning course explains the current legislation, what employees are entitled to request, and how to handle requests fairly under the updated rules.
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Preventing Sexual Harassment at Work
Since October 2024, employers have had a new legal duty under the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their staff — not just respond to it after the fact. Tribunals can increase compensation by up to 25% where an employer is found to have breached this duty. This makes staff training and a clear reporting culture essential, not optional.
The Sexual Harassment in the Workplace course helps employees and managers understand what constitutes harassment, how to raise concerns, and the steps employers should take to meet this new duty.
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Diversity, Equality & Discrimination
Diversity and equality are terms used often, but what do they actually mean — and why do they matter both in and out of the workplace? The Diversity & Equality e-learning course covers:
- The difference between equality and diversity
- The importance of equality and diversity in and out of work
- The protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010
- The different types of prohibited conduct
- How equality and diversity benefit organisations
Other Diversity, Equality & Discrimination Courses
- Equality, Diversity & Discrimination
- Age Discrimination
- Gender Reassignment Discrimination
- Sexual Orientation Discrimination
- Equality and Diversity in Health and Social Care
- Equality when Recruiting
- Ensuring Equality when Advertising a Job
- Ensuring Equality in Applications & Interviews
- Direct & Indirect Discrimination
- Religion, Belief and Non-belief Discrimination
Data Protection
Data protection ensures personal data is kept secure, accessed only for authorised purposes, and handled in line with the law. The Data Protection Act 2018 remains the core UK legislation alongside UK GDPR, and businesses should keep an eye on the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, which is gradually introducing reforms to how data can be used.
This Data Protection 2018 e-learning course explains what the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018) is and how to comply with it, including:
- Key definitions, including "data controllers" and "data processors"
- Personal data and special categories of personal data
- The seven data protection principles
- Lawful bases for processing personal data
- Individual rights, accountability and governance
- Personal data breaches and exemptions
Other Data Protection Courses
- Essentials of Data Protection
- Essentials of Cyber Security
- Essentials of GDPR
- GDPR Awareness
- A Quick Guide to GDPR
- A Guide to GDPR
Maternity, Paternity & Family Leave
Family leave rights have expanded significantly. Alongside long-standing maternity, paternity and shared parental leave entitlements, two newer rights now apply: Neonatal Care Leave (up to 12 weeks' paid leave, a day-one right since April 2025, for parents of babies needing neonatal care for 7+ consecutive days), and Paternity Leave under the Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act 2024, which allows a day-one right to paternity leave if the mother or adopter dies.
The Maternity Leave course helps learners understand the full range of rights and responsibilities of mothers-to-be, mothers and fathers during paid employment.
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Whistleblowing
Effective whistleblowing arrangements are a key part of good governance. A healthy, open culture is one where people are encouraged to speak out, confident they'll be listened to and that appropriate action will follow — to the benefit of organisations, individuals and society as a whole. The Whistleblowing course explains what whistleblowing is, how to raise a concern, and what legal protections are in place for those who do.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Employment Rights Act 2025?
The Employment Rights Act 2025 is the UK Government's flagship employment law reform, which received Royal Assent in December 2025. It covers areas including unfair dismissal, flexible working, sick pay, zero-hours contracts and a new Fair Work Agency. Most changes are being phased in across 2026 and 2027.
When did flexible working become a day-one right?
Since 6 April 2024, all employees have had the right to request flexible working from their first day in a job, without needing 26 weeks of service.
What is the new duty to prevent sexual harassment?
Since October 2024, UK employers have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their employees — a proactive duty, not just a requirement to deal with complaints after they arise.