Employment law consultations
Get ready for major reforms by following the consultations and helping us respond.
Workplace rights are being transformed with the Employment Rights Act, Equality (Race and Disability) Bill and wider reforms. Find out which consultations and calls for evidence are open, read more about them and help shape our response.
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The consultation papers and calls for evidence
See below for the key employment law consultations and calls for evidence which are currently open.
Draft Code of Practice on requests for flexible working
addAcas has published a new draft Code of Practice on handling flexible working requests, with consultation open until 17 December 2026. The draft Code sets out the new mandatory process employers must follow before refusing a request in practice and provides a first look at what the new reasonableness test will look like. For more details, see our article.
Equal pay and pay discrimination
addThe government has launched a consultation to help it reform the current equal pay framework, especially in relation to addressing gaps affecting disabled people, those from ethnic minorities and outsourced workers. The consultation closes on 27 October 2026.
For more details, see our articles:
- New consultation on pay discrimination
- UK pay transparency in recruitment: pay ranges in job adverts are under consultation
Employment status reform
addThe government has launched a consultation on proposed reforms to the employment status framework, including reducing the emphasis on the need for personal service when determining worker status, improving compliance with employment rights and strengthening protections for the self-employed. The consultation closes on 8 January 2027. For more details, see our article.
Whistleblowing
addThe government is seeking views on the operation of the whistleblowing framework and options for reform. The consultation also seeks views on a proposed Serious Fraud Office (SFO) scheme to financially reward whistleblowers who report economic crimes. The consultation remains open until 8 January 2027.
Closed consultations
See below for details of the key employment law consultations and calls for evidence which have now closed, including our submissions and the government responses where published.
Draft revised tipping Code of Practice
addThe government responded to its consultation seeking views on how it could implement the Employment Rights Act’s new requirement to consult about tipping practices in June 2026. It launched a new consultation on a draft revised statutory Code of Practice which reflects the new obligations. The consultation closed on 29 September 2026. For more details, see our article.
Draft Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures
addAcas published a new draft Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures, with consultation open until 23 September 2026. The draft Code would substantially overhaul the current version, placing much greater emphasis on informal resolution and introducing measures that could help employers deal with lengthy grievances.
For more background, see our articles:
- Acas publishes a new draft Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures – will it “fix the friction”?
- The Revised Acas Code of Practice: Informal resolution moves from best practice to statutory expectation
Holiday pay
addThe government launched a consultation on the proposed approach to holiday pay compliance and enforcement by the Fair Work Agency. The consultation closed on 22 September 2026.
Time off for public duties
addThe government sought views on how the right to time off work for public duties should operate in practice and on the proposed changes to the list of public duties eligible for time off. The consultation closed on 4 September 2026.
Unpaid carers and parents of seriously ill children
addThe government consulted on new rights for unpaid carers and parents of seriously ill children, including whether paid leave could improve job opportunities. The consultation closed on 1 September 2026. For more details, see our article.
Zero hours and similar contracts
addThe government launched a consultation on reforming zero hour contracts, covering the provisions relating to the obligation to offer guaranteed hours and the duty to provide reasonable notice of shifts and shift changes. The consultation closed on 25 August 2026. For more details, see our articles on guaranteed hours and shift scheduling rights.
NDAs
addThe Employment Rights Act makes any agreement void – whether in settlement agreements, contracts or policies – that seeks to stop a worker speaking about harassment or discrimination. This consultation sought views on how this will work in practice, including the conditions under which an NDA may still be validly entered into and extending the scope of protection beyond employees and workers. The consultation closed on 8 July 2026. For more details, see our article.
TUPE call for evidence
addThe government asked for evidence to help it reform the TUPE Regulations, especially in relation to strengthening employee protections and making the overall TUPE process easier for businesses to follow. The submission deadline was on 1 July 2026.
Draft code of practice on trade union access rights
addThe government published a consultation on the new statutory code of practice that will support trade unions and employers when negotiating trade unions’ access into workplaces. The consultation closed on 20 May 2026. For more detail, see our article.
Collective redundancy consultation threshold
addThe government consulted on the new threshold for collective redundancy consultation. The new test will be based on counting proposed redundancies across all sites and workplaces within a 90-day period. It will not replace the existing single-site trigger (20 redundancies at one site) but will sit alongside it. For more details, see our article. The consultation closed on 21 May 2026.
Flexible working
addThe government consulted on the process employers should be required to follow when considering rejecting a flexible working request. The consultation closed on 30 April 2026. For more background, see our articles:
- Flexible working: not a revolution, but the bar is rising
- Flexible working consultation: will the statutory process be flexible enough?
Read our response Review the consultation document Government response
Umbrella company regulation
addThe government sought views on how to bring umbrella companies within the regulatory framework governing the temporary labour market and strengthen protections for agency workers. The consultation closed on 1 May 2026.
Protection from detriment for striking
addThis consultation consulted on the types of detriments that employers should be prohibited from imposing on workers for taking industrial action. For more details, see our article. The consultation closed on 23 April 2026. For more details, see our articles:
Tips
addThe government sought views on the new consultation requirements employers should be required to follow when developing or reviewing tipping policies. The consultation closed on 1 April 2026.
Trade union recognition and unfair electronic balloting practices
addThe government consulted on proposed changes to the code of practice on access and unfair practices during trade union recognition and derecognition processes. It also sought views on proposals to legislate for new unfair practices to prevent interference in electronic recognition and derecognition ballots. The consultation closed on 1 April 2026.
Fire and rehire
addThis consultation on fire and rehire practices sought views on which contractual changes to expenses, benefits and shift changes should be protected as “restricted variations” under new automatic unfair dismissal rules. The consultation closed on 1 April 2026. For more background, see our article.
Reform of non-compete clauses
addThe government consulted on options to reform non-compete clauses in employment contracts. The consultation closed on 18 February 2026. For more background, see our article.
Bereavement leave (including pregnancy loss)
addThis consultation considered how the new right to bereavement leave (including pregnancy loss before 24 weeks) will work in practice. Submission deadline was 15 January 2026. For more background, see our articles.
- How the new right to bereavement leave will work
- Employment Rights Bill consultations: bereavement leave including pregnancy loss before 24 weeks
Read our response Review the consultation document Government response
Maternity returners
addThe government consulted on limiting the circumstances in which employers can dismiss pregnant women or new mothers, and on whether protections should extend to parents taking other types of family leave. The consultation closed on 15 January 2026. For more background, see our article.
Information on the right to join a trade union
addThe Employment Rights Bill requires employers to notify workers of their right to join a union. This consultation explored how this will work in practice. The deadline for responding was 18 December 2025. For more background, see our article.
Trade union rights of access
addThe government sought views on how the new right for trade unions to access workplaces is going to work. The submission deadline was 18 December 2025. For more background, see our articles:
- Employment Rights Act: union workplace access rights
- Employment Rights Bill: consultations on trade union reforms
Read our response Review the consultation document Government response
EHRC Code of Practice
addFollowing the Supreme Court’s ruling that sex in the Equality Act means biological sex, the Equality and Human Rights Commission consulted on a new Code for Service Providers, Public Functions and Associations. There is still no similar consultation on the Code for Employment (a point we made in our response) but many employers will be impacted as providers of services to the public, or recipients of services. Submission deadline was 30 June 2025. For more details, see our article.
Read our response Review the consultation document Updated code
Equality law call for evidence
add
The government asked for evidence to help it reform equality law, especially in relation to equal pay, pay transparency and strengthening harassment protection. Submission deadline was 30 June 2025.
For more background, see our articles:
- Call for evidence on equality law changes
- Pay Transparency Directive measures on the horizon for the UK?
Read our response Review the consultation document Government response
Ethnicity & disability pay gap reporting
addThis consultation explored plans to make ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting compulsory for employers with at least 250 employees.
For more background, see our articles:
- Government confirms mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting for large employers
- Government opens consultation on ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting
Read our response Review the consultation document Government response
Parental leave and pay system
addThe government has opened a call for evidence on the parental leave and pay system looking at how to modernise the existing statutory framework for parents. The submission deadline was 25 August 2025.