29th October 2026 | Hudson Contract
A raft of new employment rules takes effect this month, adding burdens and increasing the risks and liabilities for businesses that are not protected. The rules derive from the Employment Rights Act 2025 and the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025.
They include:
Employment tribunals
Claimants now have six months, rather than three, to bring most claims arising since 1 October, so disputes stay live for longer.
How Hudson helps: Hudson promotes the fair treatment of operatives. Under the Hudson Contract Guarantee, if a subbie takes a client to tribunal, Hudson takes over the case, meets the costs and has a 100 per cent success rate in employment status cases.
Harassment
From 30 October, employers must take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their employees by third parties, including contractors on site.
How Hudson helps: Hudson has partnered with a leading law firm to offer clients a package that includes a compliance toolkit, risk assessment, monitoring form, communication support, contractual clause and checklist.
Trade union rights
New rights for unions to access workplaces, and extra protections for union reps and for workers taking lawful industrial action start on 30 October.
How Hudson helps: Hudson has developed a robust response to support clients who receive access requests.
Right to work
Since 1 October, firms can face fines of up to £60,000 per head for illegal working, including operatives further down their supply chain.
How Hudson helps: Hudson has verified nearly 50,000 operatives with digital checks and an imposter check before they start. Once checked operatives don’t need checking again.
Tough new enforcer
These rules follow the launch of the Fair Work Agency in April. It polices the national minimum wage, agency regulations, gangmaster licensing and serious labour abuse, including modern slavery, and will take on holiday pay and sick pay enforcement in future. It has been allocated taxpayer funds totalling £60.1m this year, representing a hefty 26 per cent increase on the combined budget of its predecessor bodies.
Since April, HMRC has also had new powers to hold companies liable for CIS fraud in their supply chains where they knew or should have known it was happening.
Further changes are due next year
- 1 January: the qualifying period for unfair dismissal is due to fall to six months, with compensation uncapped, alongside a new duty on employers to tell workers of their right to join a union.
- March: Fire and rehire protections are expected.
- March: extended blacklisting protections are due.
Is your business protected? Whether it’s tribunal risk, union access or right to work, Hudson can help you stay compliant. Call 0800 054 1127 or send us a message to find out more.
