Employment Rights Act: Resource hub for HR and benefits leaders

Key ERA dates for employers

• 6 April 2026: first phase in force, including statutory sick pay changes. The Fair Work Agency is established.
• April 2026: employers with 250+ employees can publish voluntary gender pay gap and menopause action plans.
• Spring 2027: equality action plans become mandatory for employers with 250+ employees, subject to secondary legislation.

How does Peppy help you prepare for the Employment Rights Act?

Peppy gives every employee unlimited, confidential access to specialist clinicians across menopause, fertility, pregnancy and parenthood, women's health, men's health and neurodiversity, through a single app. That means one consistent standard of support regardless of role, location or line manager, which is one of the areas of greatest legal exposure for large, multi-site employers under the Act. Peppy also provides anonymised engagement and outcomes reporting, including a 58% reduction in severe menopause symptoms within 180 days and a 15% reduction in menopause related work impairment within 90 days, so HR and benefits teams have the evidence base to show their support is real, not just written down.

Gender pay gap and menopause action plans

From spring 2027, employers with 250 or more employees will need to publish an annual action plan alongside their gender pay gap report. The plan sets out the steps they're taking to close the gap and to support employees experiencing menopause. Employers can publish voluntarily now, and many are using the 2026–27 reporting year as a practice run.

Read our guide to menopause action plans and download the free template →