A dated reference to major UK employment, Companies House and financial-regulation changes affecting businesses from 2025 through 2028, with confirmed dates separated from future dates that remain subject to implementation.
UK regulation is being implemented through overlapping calendars. Employment law, Companies House reform and the new cryptoasset regime all use different commencement mechanisms, which makes a single undated checklist misleading.
This calendar records both changes already in force and future milestones. Future dates are labelled as scheduled, indicative or subject to parliamentary implementation rather than being presented as settled where the government has not fixed the final date.
| Date / window | Change | Who it affects | Status | Primary source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Nov 2025 | Identity verification compulsory for new directors and PSCs at incorporation or appointment | UK companies, directors and PSCs | In force | Source |
| 18 Nov 2025 to Nov 2026 | 12-month identity-verification transition for existing directors and PSCs | Existing UK companies, directors and PSCs | Transition in progress / closing during 2026 | Source |
| Dec 2025 Royal Assent | Repeal of Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 | Employers and trade unions in affected services | In force | Source |
| 18 Feb 2026 | Majority of Trade Union Act 2016 restrictions repealed | Employers and trade unions | In force | Source |
| 18 Feb 2026 | Industrial-action notice and ballot-notice rules simplified | Employers and trade unions | In force | Source |
| 18 Feb 2026 | Protection against dismissal for taking industrial action strengthened | Employers and workers | In force | Source |
| 1 Apr 2026 | Certification Officer levy on trade unions and employer associations repealed | Trade unions and employer associations | In force | Source |
| 6 Apr 2026 | Maximum collective-redundancy protective award doubled | Employers making collective redundancies | In force | Source |
| 6 Apr 2026 | Day-one paternity leave and unpaid parental leave | Employers and eligible employees | In force | Source |
| 6 Apr 2026 | Whistleblowing protection strengthened for sexual-harassment disclosures | Employers and workers | In force | Source |
| 6 Apr 2026 | Statutory Sick Pay lower earnings limit and waiting period removed | Employers and eligible workers | In force | Source |
| 6 Apr 2026 | Voluntary gender-equality and menopause action plans plus guidance | Employers | In force as voluntary framework | Source |
| 7 Apr 2026 | Fair Work Agency established | Employers, workers and labour-market enforcement bodies | In force | Source |
| 25 Aug 2026 | Electronic and workplace balloting for statutory trade-union ballots | Trade unions and employers | In force | Source |
| 30 Sep 2026 | FCA cryptoasset authorisation application window opens | Cryptoasset firms serving the UK | Confirmed application window | Source |
| 1 Oct 2026 | Employment Tribunal claim time limit rises from 3 to 6 months in most cases | Employers and workers | Scheduled | Source |
| 30 Oct 2026 | Duty to inform workers of right to join a trade union and stronger union access rights | Employers and workers | Scheduled | Source |
| 30 Oct 2026 | Employers must take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment; third-party harassment duty introduced | Employers | Scheduled | Source |
| Dec 2026 | Seafarer Protection Regulations | Relevant maritime employers | Scheduled | Source |
| By end 2026 | Tipping law strengthened | Hospitality and other employers where tips apply | Scheduled; exact date subject to implementation | Source |
| 1 Jan 2027 | Unfair-dismissal qualifying period reduced to six months and compensatory awards uncapped | Employers and employees | Scheduled | Source |
| Jan 2027 | Fire-and-rehire protections | Employers considering contract changes | Scheduled | Source |
| 28 Feb 2027 | FCA cryptoasset authorisation application window closes | Cryptoasset firms serving the UK | Confirmed application window | Source |
| During 2027 | Mandatory gender-equality and menopause action plans, enhanced pregnancy/new-mother dismissal protection, flexible working and other Employment Rights Act measures | Employers | Planned; individual commencement dates may vary | Source |
| 25 Oct 2027 | New FCA cryptoasset regulatory regime commences | Cryptoasset firms undertaking newly regulated activities in or to the UK | Confirmed commencement under current FCA timetable | Source |
| No earlier than Nov 2027 | Identity verification for document presenters and ACSP requirement for third-party agents | Companies, filing agents and presenters | Indicative; Companies House will give notice | Source |
| Apr 2028 | Software-only accounts filing and major small-company/micro-entity accounts reforms | UK companies filing annual accounts | Scheduled under current Companies House plan | Source |
The calendar uses GOV.UK, Companies House and FCA material as primary sources. Consultation opening dates are excluded unless they create a practical filing or compliance deadline for businesses.
Where several measures start on the same day, they are separated when the compliance consequence is materially different. Dates described by government as 'during 2027', 'by end 2026' or 'no earlier than' remain in those terms rather than being converted into invented exact dates.
These research pages are maintained as reference datasets rather than one-off news stories. Readers citing a table should include the review date because company, regulatory and project status can change materially between updates.