December 2025

Interim changes to paternity leave

Since 29 December 2025, employees can take paternity leave regardless of how long they've worked for their employer, in situations where the child's mother or adopter dies.

Previously, employees still needed at least 26 weeks' service to qualify for paternity leave in these circumstances.

This day-1 right applies to the child's father, or the spouse, civil partner or partner of the person who has died. They'll be eligible if the child's mother dies within a year of the birth (or during it), or if the adopter dies within a year of the adoption.

Bereaved partners will also now be allowed to take paternity leave after a period of shared parental leave, which they couldn't do before.

These changes were introduced via the Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act 2024, which is designed to plug a short gap until April 2026, at which point the Employment Rights Act will make paternity leave a day-1 right for all employees and allow any eligible new parent to take paternity leave after a period of shared parental leave.

See the section on the Paternity leave changes for more information.

Changes to strike rules

The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 was repealed (rescinded) on 18 December 2025.

This Act previously gave power for a government to set minimum levels of required service when strikes occur in the health, transport, education, fire and rescue, border control, nuclear decommissioning and radioactive waste management services sectors.