HR and Employment Law FAQs December 2025

3. What statutory rates for sick pay and family-related leave will apply from April 2026?

The Government has published proposed benefit and pension rates for 2026 to 2027, which indicate that from 6 April 2026 the statutory rates for family related leave and sick pay will increase as follows: 

• Statutory sick pay (SSP) will increase from £118.75 to £123.25 per week
• Statutory maternity pay, statutory maternity allowance, statutory adoption pay, statutory paternity pay, statutory shared parental pay, statutory parental bereavement pay and statutory neonatal care pay will increase from £187.18 to £194.32 per week.
• The lower earnings limit will increase from £125 to £129 (although reforms in the Employment Rights Bill mean this will be removed for SSP from April 2026 onwards – see Statutory Sick Pay: Spotlight Series).
• The threshold for maternity allowance will remain at £30 a week.

If you are a Make UK subscriber, you can speak with your adviser if you have any queries in relation to these changes. If you are not a Make UK subscriber, you can contact us for further support on this topic or to access our resources. Please click here for information on how we can help your business.

4. Will Make UK be responding to the Government’s consultation on balloting and other consultations relating to “Make Work Pay”?

Yes, our Policy Team intends to submit a response to the Government’s consultation on the draft Code of Practice on electronic and workplace balloting for statutory union ballots and would welcome any contributions you wish to share with them. Briefly summarised, the new code aims to provide practical information on how union ballots should be conducted, including the following:

• The requirements on each party involved in a statutory union ballot to ensure a ballot meets the required standards.
• Factors to be considered when choosing a voting method.
• Good practice in the conduct of statutory union ballots using these new voting methods.  

The draft code confirms that the Government plans to introduce three new voting methods for statutory union ballots (in addition to postal voting, which is currently the only option):

• "Pure” electronic balloting (i.e. fully digital);
• Hybrid electronic balloting (where voting materials are distributed by post, with members able to return their vote either via post or electronically); and
• “Workplace balloting” (where members cast their vote in person at the workplace via a physical ballot box and paper, or at an off-site location with all balloting arrangements agreed in advance on a voluntary basis between the union, scrutineer and employer). This option would be for industrial action ballots only. 

These changes are aimed at modernising statutory trade union ballots, and you can read about this, alongside other reforms under the Employment Rights Bill, in our Trade Unions/Industrial Action: Spotlight. The Government has indicated that new rules around electronic and workplace balloting will come into force from April 2026. To read more about proposed implementation dates for reforms under the Employment Rights Bill, see our roadmap.

Our Policy Team would also welcome any contributions you wish to share with them in relation to other Government consultations which are currently “live”: 

• The new duty on employers to inform workers of their right to a join a trade union
• Trade union rights of access to the workplace
• Enhanced dismissal protections for pregnant women and new mothers
• Leave for bereavement including pregnancy loss
• Review of employment rights for unpaid carers

We are keen to hear your views on these proposals, including your insights on how specific measures might affect your business and workers in practice. If you would like to contribute, please email our Policy Team.

If you are a Make UK subscriber, you can speak to your regular adviser about any queries you may have relating to the Employment Rights Bill. If you are not a Make UK subscriber, our expert HR and legal advisors can offer guidance on a consultancy basis. For further information, click here.

5. How can Make UK help us to better support staff through the menopause?

As outlined in our blog ⁣World Menopause Day - five top tips for supporting your staff, we recommend that all employers provide menopause awareness training to their entire workforce, as well as specific training for managers. Our Make UK experts can you help with these training needs.

It is vital that managers receive thorough training on how to support employees through this stage of life. For example, managers need to understand:

• the stages of menopause and how they can affect staff (including whether there are adjustments that may help)
   
• the internal and external support available, such as occupational health support and employee assistance programmes
   
• how to talk and listen sensitively, to normalise the topic and to have respectful one-to-one conversations about the type of support that could assist an employee who is struggling
   
• how to take a constructive approach to performance issues linked to menopause symptoms
   
• the relevant law, including the Equality Act 2010 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. While menopause isn’t itself a “protected characteristic”, claims can arise under the protected characteristics of age, sex or disability
   
• how to deal promptly with harassment, bullying and/or discrimination, in line with the company’s internal policies.

Everyone experiences menopause differently, so it is important to foster a workplace in which staff feel supported and able to share their needs and experiences if they wish to do so. By encouraging open, compassionate and respectful conversations about the menopause between colleagues (including with line managers), employers can help to tackle the taboo that has historically existed around menopause-related issues at work. This can in turn help pave the way towards a more inclusive and supportive culture.

As a reminder, under the Employment Rights Bill, employers with 250 or more employees will be required to publish an equality action plan showing what steps they are taking in relation to certain prescribed gender equality matters, including how they are supporting workers during the menopause.  This means that if you are likely to have 250 or more employees in 2027, you should consider taking the steps set out in our ⁣Action on Equality: Spotlight Series. Even if you are unlikely to meet the 250 employees threshold in 2027, it is worth considering whether, as a matter of good practice, you wish to develop an equality action plan in any event. 

Make UK can provide a template menopause policy and related guidance (which are both available to Make UK subscribers in the HR and Legal Resources section of our website).  If you are a Make UK subscriber, your regular adviser can assist with any queries, and our consultancy team are on hand for any more bespoke projects on which you require assistance.

If you are not a Make UK subscriber, you can contact us for further support on this topic or to access our resources. Please click here for information on how we can help your business.