Important information for adult social care employers

Thursday 19 November 2026

12 noon - 1 pm

Join OACP and partners Citation for a comprehensive briefing on what you need to know.

More details to follow...

Effective: 1 October 2026

On 1 October the time limit for bringing an employment tribunal claim will increase for most employment tribunal claims (unfair dismissal, discrimination, unlawful deductions etc), will be three months. As the clock starts starts from day one of the claim, it expires three months minus one day later.

From 1 October, this time limit has increased to six months, for claims which arose on or after the 1 October. 

Effective: 30 October 2026

The existing duty to take "reasonable steps" to prevent sexual harassment is strengthened to a requirement to take"all reasonable steps". Failure to do so may result in an uplift of up to 25% in damages awarded.

Effective: 30 October 2026

Employers must not permit employees to be harassed by customers, residents, relatives, visitors, contractors, suppliers or other third parties.

For care providers, this is particularly significant due to regular interaction with:

• Service users
• Family members
• Visiting professionals
• Contractors and agency workers

Effective: 30 October 2026

Independent trade unions will gain broader rights to access workplaces and engage with workers, including virtual engagement in some circumstances.

Effective: 1 January 2027

Employers will be required to inform workers of their right to join a trade union.

Where employers choose to deliver statements to their existing workers directly, they must do so annually by 5 April. Where the employer uses indirect methods to deliver the statement, the employer will have to ensure that the statement remains continuously and reasonably available to the worker. The employer must issue an annual reminder that the statement is available and where to find it.

Unfair dismissal reforms remain scheduled for January 2027