Trade Union Right of Access: Employer Readiness Under the Employment Rights Act

Would your organisation know how to respond to a trade union access request?

New trade union access rights under the Employment Rights Act bring practical questions for employers. Who should handle a request? What could physical or digital access involve? And are your policies, processes and managers ready?

This 90-minute update session is exclusively for delegates who have previously attended Working Successfully with Trade Unions. It builds on that course to help you understand the new access rights, assess your organisation’s readiness and identify practical steps to prepare.

Haven’t attended the full course? Please book Working Successfully with Trade Unions first.

About this course

Responding to a trade union access request requires clear responsibilities, consistent decisions, and effective communication across the business. This session explores what the changes mean for employers, the activities access rights are intended to support and the considerations involved in physical and digital access. You will also examine the legal, operational and employee relations risks that can arise when preparation is incomplete. You will leave with a practical framework to assess your organisation’s readiness and identify where further action is needed.

Who should attend?

This session is exclusively for HR professionals, managers and senior leaders who have previously attended Working Successfully with Trade Unions. It includes knowledge from the full course and focuses on the new trade union access rights under the Employment Rights Act 2025.

If you have not attended Working Successfully with Trade Unions, please book the full course first.

What will you learn?

By the end of the session, you will be able to:

• Understand the key Employment Rights Act changes relating to trade union right of access and why they matter to employers.
• Explain when a trade union may seek workplace access and the activities those rights are intended to support.
• Identify the differences between physical and digital access requests, including the practical considerations for each.
• Recognise the legal, operational and employee relations risks of poor preparation or inconsistent decisions.
• Understand the responsibilities of managers, HR teams and senior leaders when responding to requests.
• Assess whether your policies, governance arrangements and communication channels are fit for purpose.
• Identify practical steps to improve readiness and support constructive industrial relations.

What will you leave with?

• Clarity on the new access rights and employer obligations.
• Greater confidence in responding to trade union engagement.
• An understanding of common pitfalls and business risks.
• A practical framework for assessing organisational readiness.
• Actions to support effective relationships with employees and trade unions.

Build on your previous training

Update your knowledge of trade union access rights and identify what your business needs to have in place.

For previous Working Successfully with Trade Unions delegates only.

Book your place, £98 + VAT per person