UK Workplace Harassment and Trade Union Access Reforms Take Effect

A new set of employment protections took effect in the United Kingdom on Friday, 30 October 2026, strengthening employers' duties to prevent harassment and introducing a formal process for trade unions to request access to workplaces.

Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, employers must take **all reasonable steps** to prevent sexual harassment, replacing the previous requirement to take reasonable steps. The changes also introduce an obligation not to permit harassment of employees by third parties, including customers and clients. The measures concern preventive action and employer responsibility; they do not mean every allegation automatically establishes employer liability.

The legislation also establishes a statutory route for independent trade unions to request physical or digital access to workplaces to engage with workers. Employers and unions can negotiate an agreement, while the Central Arbitration Committee can determine access arrangements where agreement is not reached. The government says employers with fewer than 21 workers across all workplaces are exempt from the new access provisions.

Further changes affect union recognition procedures and the rights of workplace union representatives. Employers may need to review harassment policies, reporting routes, training and arrangements for handling union requests.

Not every employment reform in the government's programme starts today. The separate requirement to give workers a written statement of their right to join a union is scheduled to begin for new workers on 1 January 2027, according to the government's October employer bulletin. The October measures are part of a phased implementation rather than the commencement of the entire Act.