01/09/2026
There are some significant changes coming over the next few months!
📅 1 OCTOBER 2026 – Employment Tribunal time limits
The time limit for bringing most Employment Tribunal claims will increase from 3 months to 6 months.
For breach of employment contract claims in Scotland, the change will take effect from 9 November 2026.
👉 This gives employees considerably more time to bring claims and means employers may need to retain relevant records and documentation for longer.
📅 30 OCTOBER 2026 – Sexual harassment & third-party harassment
Employers will need to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, strengthening the current requirement to take reasonable steps.
There will also be new protection relating to third-party harassment, meaning employers can be liable where workers are harassed by people such as customers, clients or service users, unless the employer has taken all reasonable steps to prevent it.
💡 Employers should be reviewing now:
✔️ Sexual harassment policies
✔️ Risk assessments
✔️ Staff training
✔️ Reporting and investigation procedures
✔️ Workplace culture and behaviours
✔️ How harassment by customers, clients and other third parties is managed
📅 30 OCTOBER 2026 – Trade union reforms
A number of significant trade union measures will also come into force, including:
• A duty to inform workers of their right to join a trade union
• Strengthened trade union rights of access
• Further reforms to recognition and derecognition processes
• New rights and protections for trade union representatives
• Extended protection against detriment for taking lawful industrial action
Don't wait until the changes take effect — start preparing now.