According to Ann-Louise Graham, new workplace reforms could significantly improve security, leave rights, and health support for women. With millions set to benefit, the changes may ease the pressure of balancing work, family, and faith.
Women are expected to be the greatest beneficiaries of key provisions in the new Employment Rights Act 2025. The legislation has been described as having the potential to bring about the most significant improvement to women’s working lives in a generation, with reports that as many as 4.7 million women will benefit from stronger sick pay.
One of the most significant elements of the Employment Rights Act for women, however, concerns pregnancy and maternity protection. The law already makes it illegal to dismiss a woman because she is pregnant or on maternity leave. However, the new legislation goes further by strengthening safeguards against dismissal both during pregnancy and after a woman has returned to work. The changes acknowledge a reality many women already know that pregnancy and motherhood may carry an unspoken risk to job security.
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Further – from April - the legislation will offer day-one rights for paternity and unpaid parental leave, which previously involved minimum employment requirements before eligibility. The change is said to support both mothers and partners to take necessary time around childbirth or adoption - a change that can potentially help women juggle work and family commitments.
Another area where the legislation may be particularly important for women is in regard to menopause support.
Another area where the legislation may be particularly important for women is in regard to menopause support. While the Act does not create a standalone legal right around menopause, it does require larger employers to develop and publish menopause action plans as part of wider equality measures. For many women, menopause can cause physical, emotional, and mental challenges that have long been overlooked or misunderstood in the workplace. Employers are being encouraged to plan proactively, through flexible working, reasonable adjustments, and greater awareness. Changes that could signal a shift towards recognising women’s health as a legitimate workplace issue rather than a private burden to be endured in silence.
READ MORE: If you’re not sure it’s worth going back to work after maternity leave, here’s what you should know
Similarly, statutory sick pay will be payable from the first day of illness without an earning threshold. Given that women are statistically more likely to be in lower-paid or part-time roles, this change helps reduce the precarious choice many face between losing income and taking time off when unwell.
The Act will also reduce the qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims to six months by 2027.
The Act will also reduce the qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims to six months by 2027. And reforms planned for 2027 will require employers to offer guaranteed hours and reasonable notice of shifts, and to consider flexible working more seriously, all of which matter greatly for women who often carry unpaid caregiving responsibilities alongside paid work.
READ MORE: From doctor’s appointments to maternity pay, these are your legal rights as a pregnant employee
Why is this is especially important for women? Women are disproportionately represented in part-time roles, zero-hours contracts, and lower-paid work, sectors where insecurity and lack of leave rights have posed barriers to job stability and family life. By strengthening sick pay, and improving fairness around contracts and dismissal, the Employment Rights Act 2025 may help address some of these entrenched inequalities. Several of the Act’s measures, which received Royal Assent in December 2025, are due to take effect from April while others will be phased in over the coming years. A new enforcement body will be established to oversee workplace rights and ensure compliance, helping to protect vulnerable workers from exploitation or unfair practice.
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