Field service businesses run on schedules, availability, and reliable records. When employment law changes, the operational impact tends to show up first in absence cover, rota planning, contract changes, and how quickly disputes escalate.

In 2026, the UK is introducing a set of reforms in two main waves (April and October). Some measures are already confirmed with firm commencement dates, while others are still subject to detailed regulations or guidance. Where something is not yet fully pinned down, we will say so clearly.

2026 in 60 seconds:

UK changes confirmed for 6 April 2026

• Paternity leave becomes a day-one right (no 26-week qualifying service to take leave).

• Unpaid parental leave becomes a day-one right (removing the one-year service requirement).

• Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) becomes payable from day one and the lower earnings limit is removed, meaning more workers qualify.

• Collective redundancy risk increases as the maximum protective award doubles from 90 to 180 days’ pay for failures to consult.

What this means in practice: If you rely on variable hours, tight scheduling, or managers making day-to-day judgement calls, 2026 is a year to tighten up: payroll settings, absence processes, written policies, and record keeping.

What’s changing in the UK from April 2026

Day-one paternity leave

From 6 April 2026, employees will be able to give notice of statutory paternity leave from the first day of employment, rather than needing 26 weeks’ service.

What field service companies should do

• Update your family leave policy and manager guidance so eligibility is applied consistently from the start of employment.

• Review onboarding checklists so line managers know what to do if a new starter shares pregnancy or adoption news early on.

• Build resilience into scheduling for short-notice leave requests, especially in small teams and single-engineer patches.

Day-one unpaid parental leave

Also from 6 April 2026, unpaid parental leave becomes a day-one right, replacing the current one-year service requirement.

What field service companies should do

• Make sure managers understand the difference between parental leave (unpaid, statutory entitlement) and other types of leave such as paternity, shared parental, or annual leave.

• Use consistent approval and documentation steps so decisions are easy to explain later if challenged.

Statutory Sick Pay reforms (SSP) and eligibility expansion

From 6 April 2026, SSP will be paid from the first day of illness (instead of the fourth day). The lower earnings limit will be removed, so more workers qualify.

For field service businesses, this is not just a payroll change. It affects how you:

• record the first day of absence

• manage “one-day” sickness patterns

• budget for absence cover and overtime

What field service companies should do

• Speak with payroll (or your provider) early to confirm the SSP “day one” change is configured correctly.

• Review your sickness and absence policy so it sets clear expectations around reporting, certification, and return-to-work conversations.

• Make absence recording consistent across mobile workers, not dependent on informal texts or phone calls.

Collective redundancy: higher penalties for consultation failures

From 6 April 2026, the maximum protective award for failing to consult properly in a collective redundancy will double from 90 to 180 days’ pay.

Even if redundancies are not planned, this matters because restructures in field service often involve:

• depot consolidation

• patch redesign

• removing standby arrangements

• reducing capacity in certain regions

Those changes can drift into redundancy territory quickly if the role requirement changes materially.

What field service companies should do

• Treat workforce changes as a consultation and documentation exercise, not just an operational decision.

• Train managers to escalate early if headcount reductions or role removals are being discussed.

• Keep written timelines and notes. If a dispute arises months later, documentation is often the difference between a clean defence and a costly settlement.

Our guide on how to dismiss an underperforming employee fairly and legally sets out the steps employers should follow to reduce risk and demonstrate procedural fairness if a decision is later scrutinised.

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UK changes expected from October 2026 (what to prepare for in 2026)

Some of the most significant operational impacts for field service employers are expected later in the year. While these measures are not all live on 1 January, 2026 is the preparation window. Waiting until autumn will be too late for policy updates, manager training, and contract reviews.

Where the detail is still subject to final regulations or guidance, that uncertainty is flagged clearly below.

Fire and rehire: far higher risk from October 2026

From October 2026, the government has indicated that dismissing employees for refusing key contractual changes and re-engaging them on new terms is expected to become automatically unfair in most circumstances, subject to final regulations and guidance.

This builds on the existing statutory Code of Practice and significantly narrows the situations where “dismissal and re-engagement” can be justified. The remaining defence is expected to be limited to genuine financial distress that threatens business viability, with a high evidential threshold.

Why this matters for field service businesses
Field service operations often need to change:

• working hours and shift patterns

• standby or on-call arrangements

• travel time treatment

• regional coverage models

Historically, some of these changes have been pushed through with limited consultation. From late 2026, that approach is likely to create automatic unfair dismissal exposure.

What to do in 2026

• Review contracts now to understand which terms are genuinely fixed and which allow flexibility.

• Avoid “quick fixes” to hours or pay in response to operational pressure.

• Build consultation time into any restructuring or rota redesign.

• Train managers to escalate contract change discussions early rather than presenting decisions as final.

Check out our guide on how to dismiss an underperforming employee fairly and legally explains how a structured process and clear documentation help demonstrate fairness if a decision is later challenged.

Stronger duty to prevent sexual harassment (including third parties)

Later in 2026, employers are expected to face a strengthened proactive duty to prevent sexual harassment, subject to final regulations and enforcement guidance.

This includes:

• taking all reasonable steps to prevent harassment

• extending protection to harassment by third parties, such as customers or site contacts

This is a shift from reacting to complaints towards demonstrating prevention.

Why this matters for field service businesses
Field staff frequently work:

• alone

• on customer premises

• with limited direct supervision

That increases exposure to third-party behaviour and makes after-the-fact responses harder to defend.

What to do in 2026

• Update anti-harassment policies to explicitly cover customer and third-party behaviour.

• Make reporting routes simple and accessible for mobile workers.

• Train managers on how to respond when issues are raised, including documenting actions taken.

• Keep records of training and preventative steps. These are likely to be relied on if a claim arises.

This is not just a legal issue. Clear reporting and calm, consistent responses also protect morale and retention in dispersed teams.

Employment tribunal time limits extend to six months

From October 2026, the time limit for bringing most employment tribunal claims is expected to increase from three months to six months.

This does not change the test of fairness, but it materially changes risk duration.

Why this matters

• Issues that feel “resolved” may resurface much later.

• Managers may have moved roles or left the business by the time a claim is raised.

• Informal decisions without written records become harder to defend as time passes.

What to do in 2026

• Improve record keeping for performance, absence, grievances, and contract changes.

• Standardise how managers record decisions and conversations.

• Retain key HR records for longer and ensure they are accessible.

Our HR compliance guide for field service employers brings these elements together, helping businesses review their processes and identify gaps before they turn into legal or operational issues.

As with other October 2026 measures, employers should confirm the final commencement date against official guidance once published.

What field service employers should do now

Rather than waiting for autumn guidance, the safest approach is to act on what is already clear.

• Review employment contracts and identify high-risk change areas.

• Update sickness, family leave, and harassment policies.

• Check payroll and absence systems are ready for April changes.

• Train managers on consultation, documentation, and escalation.

• Run a short HR compliance audit to identify gaps early.

UK vs Ireland: what’s confirmed for 2026

Reliable resources worth checking

If you want to verify the detail or keep track of official updates, the following sources are the most reliable places to look. They focus on confirmed law and practical employer guidance, rather than speculation.

UK (official and near-official sources)

• GOV.UK – Paternity leave and parental leave guidance
  Covers statutory eligibility, notice requirements, and the confirmed move to day-one rights from April 2026.

• Acas – Employment law changes and employer guidance
  Provides plain-English explanations of the 2026 reforms, including Statutory Sick Pay from day one, parental leave changes, and the increase in protective awards for collective redundancy failures.

• GOV.UK – Statutory Sick Pay guidance
  Sets out employer responsibilities, eligibility rules, and payroll obligations, which remain the baseline even as SSP rules change in 2026.

Ireland (official sources)

• Citizens Information – Employment rights and pay rates
  The most reliable source for confirmed Irish employment law, including the National Minimum Wage from January 2026 and explanations of statutory leave and pay.

• Workplace Relations Commission – Workplace rights and enforcement updates
  Useful for understanding how Irish employment law is enforced in practice and for checking official guidance where changes are proposed or under review.