- Day-one unfair dismissal rights change the maths on probation.
- Flexible working is now a day-one right — your policy needs to keep up.
- Four handbook updates are worth making before June.
Every April brings a fresh batch of employment-law changes, and 2026 is no exception. Most of it is manageable — but a couple of the changes genuinely shift how a small Norfolk business should handle hiring and probation. Here is the plain-English version, with the bits that actually cost you money flagged.
Day-one rights: the big one
The headline change is the move toward day-one protection from unfair dismissal. In practice that means the casual “we’ll see how the first two years go” approach is finished. Your probation period now has to do real work: clear standards, honest reviews, and documented decisions.
That is not a reason to panic — it is a reason to get your probation framework right. A well-run probation process protects you precisely because it shows a fair, reasonable approach from the start.
Flexible working from day one
Flexible-working requests are now a day-one right, and employees can make more than one a year. You still have legitimate business grounds to refuse, but you have to follow the process and respond in good time. If your handbook still says “after 26 weeks”, it is out of date.
The businesses that handle this well treat flexibility as a conversation, not a form. The ones that struggle treat every request as a threat.
The four handbook updates to make now
- Probation policy — add structured checkpoints and a clear confirm/extend/exit decision.
- Flexible working — remove the qualifying period, set out the process and timescales.
- Family leave — check entitlements against the latest rates.
- Disciplinary & grievance — make sure it is ACAS-aligned and actually followed.
What to do this month
Pull your handbook out, check those four policies, and re-issue anything that has drifted. If you would rather not, that is exactly the kind of fixed-fee job we do — and it usually costs less than one bad tribunal afternoon.
Not sure where you stand? Book a free 30-minute chat and we’ll tell you honestly.