UK employers now have a clearer autumn compliance timetable after the government updated the Plan to Make Work Pay and Employment Rights Act implementation schedule on 25 August. Two October dates are particularly important because they affect both dispute exposure and trade-union processes.
From 1 October, the time limit for bringing a claim to the Employment Tribunal increases from three months to six months for the covered claims. Scotland has a separate 9 November date for breach-of-employment-contract claims.
A six-month claim window changes record retention and risk
The longer Tribunal window does not create a new cause of action, but it extends the period in which an employer can face a claim after an event. HR teams should review how long they retain investigation records, grievance correspondence, performance documentation and decision-making evidence.
The operational point is simple: a case that previously might have fallen outside the standard limitation period can remain live for longer. Internal processes and legal triage should be designed around the new timetable rather than the old three-month assumption.
30 October brings the trade-union package
The 30 October measures include a duty to inform workers of their right to join a trade union, strengthened rights of access and reforms to recognition and derecognition processes. The government's timetable also refers to measures addressing unfair practices during recognition and freezing the bargaining unit when an application is received.
Businesses with little previous union engagement should not assume the changes are relevant only to heavily unionised sectors. The information and access duties can affect how employers communicate with workers and respond when organising activity begins.
Preparation should follow the operative date
The Employment Rights Act is being implemented in phases, which makes headline summaries risky. Businesses should distinguish provisions already in force, October changes and measures scheduled for later in 2026 or 2027.
BBR's regulation coverage will keep those dates attached to the underlying government source. When a commencement date changes, the permanent calendar should change rather than creating a misleading impression that every part of the Act started at once.