Each card records the current Bracton view at the review date above. Where the position depends on commencement, secondary detail, jurisdiction, or facts, the card is deliberately cautious.
EmploymentPartly in force
Employment Rights Act 2025
Phased through 2026–2027
The reform programme is being implemented in phases, with some employment changes already relevant and others still dependent on commencement timing and secondary detail.
Who it affects: UK employers, HR teams, employees, and workers affected by contracts, dismissal, working patterns, and enforcement changes.
What to do now: Map your current contracts, policies, and HR processes against the phased timetable rather than assuming every reform applies on the same date.
EmploymentIn force
SSP reform
From 6 April 2026
Statutory sick pay treatment has changed under the current reform programme, including day-one payment and broader eligibility assumptions.
Who it affects: Employers, payroll teams, managers handling absence, and workers relying on statutory sick pay.
What to do now: Check sickness clauses, payroll settings, manager scripts, and staff-facing policy wording for outdated waiting-day or threshold references.
EmploymentExpected
Zero-hours contract reform
Expected during 2026–2027 implementation
Further protections around predictable working arrangements and guaranteed-hours pathways are expected as the employment reform package develops.
Who it affects: Employers using casual, variable-hours, seasonal, or shift-based labour, and workers on non-guaranteed-hours arrangements.
What to do now: Audit workforce categories, scheduling practices, written terms, and evidence for when genuinely flexible arrangements are needed.
PropertyIn force
Renters’ Rights Act 2025
Core tenancy reforms from 1 May 2026
The private rented sector framework in England has moved to the new post-Renters’ Rights Act model, including periodic tenancies and revised possession routes.
Who it affects: England-only residential landlords, letting agents, property managers, and tenants under assured tenancy arrangements.
What to do now: Stop relying on pre-commencement AST paperwork for new tenancies and check possession, rent increase, and tenant information processes.
PropertyIn force
Section 21 abolition
No new Section 21 notices after 30 April 2026
Landlords can no longer treat no-fault Section 21 possession as the default route and must work through the applicable Section 8 ground where possession is sought.
Who it affects: Landlords and agents managing possession strategy, notices, and evidence packs in England.
What to do now: Identify the possession ground before serving a notice and keep evidence aligned with the ground relied on.
PropertyIn force
Section 13 rent increases
Post-1 May 2026 framework
Rent increases under the new tenancy framework require careful use of the statutory route rather than informal or legacy contractual assumptions.
Who it affects: Residential landlords and agents increasing rent under assured periodic tenancies in England.
What to do now: Use the correct Section 13 process and avoid assuming old fixed-term rent review mechanics still solve the problem.
EmploymentExpected
Settlement agreement confidentiality changes
Commencement awaited
Employment reform includes changes affecting confidentiality clauses in settlement contexts, particularly where harassment or discrimination disclosures are concerned.
Who it affects: Employers, employees, HR teams, and advisers negotiating exits or resolving employment disputes.
What to do now: Avoid overbroad confidentiality drafting and keep settlement templates under review as commencement detail becomes clearer.
FreelanceBracton updated
Late payment and commercial debt
Reviewed for current Bracton resources
Commercial creditors, including many freelancers and small businesses, should continue to handle late-payment claims with accurate statutory interest and compensation calculations.
Who it affects: Freelancers, contractors, small businesses, and business customers dealing with overdue commercial invoices.
What to do now: Calculate interest and fixed compensation before sending a formal demand, and keep escalation correspondence clear and proportionate.
FreelanceWatching brief
IR35 and employment status
No single tracker date
IR35 and employment-status risk remains fact-sensitive. The safest working assumption is that contract labels alone do not decide status.
Who it affects: Freelancers, contractors, personal service companies, agencies, and clients engaging flexible labour.
What to do now: Keep contracts, working practices, substitution rights, control, financial risk, and integration evidence aligned rather than relying on labels.
BusinessWatching brief
Companies House reform
Phased implementation
Company-law administration and identity-related requirements are changing in phases. Bracton is tracking the topic cautiously until the relevant user-facing guidance is mature.
Who it affects: Company directors, founders, PSCs, company secretaries, and small businesses maintaining statutory records.
What to do now: Check company records, director details, registered office arrangements, and internal responsibility for Companies House filings.