ERA - ET time limits extended to six months from October 2026
New regulations complete reforms extending ET limitation periods from three months to six months with effect from 1 October. In April, initial regulations signalled 1 October as the implementation date, extending time limits for contractual claims in England and Wales and a limited number of statutory claims. This implementation date was confirmed in a summer update to the government’s ERA roadmap. The latest regulations complete the extension by bringing the remaining ET claims within the six-month framework. The Scottish Parliament must still approve legislation to extend the time limit for ET breach of contract claims in Scotland, which the Scottish government intends to bring into force on 9 November. Transitional provisions will apply, meaning the extension to time limits apply where the date of the matter complained of occurs on or after 1 October.
The reforms will have important practical implications for employers. Employers will face a significantly longer period of uncertainty following dismissals, workplace disputes and other employment-related decisions. Employees and workers may now lodge claims up to six months after the relevant event rather than within three months, prolonging litigation risk and delaying certainty. The extension is likely to require employers to revisit a number of existing practices, including the timing of recruitment into disputed roles, litigation reserve planning, settlement strategies and document retention procedures. Longer limitation periods also increase the likelihood that claimants will bring claims after key witnesses have moved on or memories have faded, making robust record-keeping and evidence preservation even more important. Employers should review their HR, investigation and document management processes ahead of October to ensure they are prepared for what is likely to be the most significant extension of employment tribunal limitation periods in decades.
Government consults on scaling back workforce reporting requirements
The government launched a consultation on Modernising Corporate Reporting to Support Long-Term Economic Growth, which proposes significant changes to company law reporting requirements, including the removal of certain workforce-related disclosures. The consultation forms part of a wider programme to simplify reporting obligations and reduce administrative burdens for businesses. Of particular interest to employers, the government proposes to:
• change reporting criteria: one criterion for determining which corporate reporting framework applies to an entity is workforce size. The government proposes replacing employee headcount with a full-time equivalent (FTE) threshold, as this may provide a more accurate measure of business size; and
• reduce non-financial reporting requirements: a proposal to remove specific disclosures on: how directors have regard to employees' interests; employment policies and their effectiveness; senior manager sex breakdowns; CEO-to-employee pay ratio reporting; and several aspects of directors' remuneration reporting.
The government recognises that removing specific reporting requirements may not eliminate all workforce disclosures. If the non-financial information is financially material, it will still need to be disclosed and may need to be disclosed under other applicable governance codes and reporting frameworks. If adopted, the changes would reduce mandatory reporting obligations but may prompt businesses to consider what workforce information they continue to disclose voluntarily to employees, investors and other stakeholders. The consultation closes on 30 November.
Hundreds of workers still affected be offshore helicopter weight rules
New reports indicate that Offshore Energies UK's introduction of a new maximum weight limit for workers travelling offshore by helicopter will still affect hundreds of workers when the policy takes full effect on 1 November. The new rule limits workers to a clothed weight of 124.7kg to ensure Coastguard helicopter winches can rescue them safely in an emergency. A recent BBC report suggests that the challenge remains significant for the sector. When OEUK announced the policy, it estimated that more than 2,200 offshore workers exceeded the new limit. Updated figures indicate that the industry has reduced that number substantially, but up to 800 workers still exceed the threshold less than two months before the rules take effect. The BBC reports concerns that some workers could lose their offshore roles if they cannot meet the new requirements by November. The report also notes that some individuals have already left the industry rather than reduce their weight, although employers may be able to offer alternative onshore roles in some cases. With the implementation date fast approaching, employers in the offshore sector should continue to assess the impact of the new rules on their workforce and consider how they can support affected employees. Employers should also identify any operational challenges that may arise if workers remain above the maximum weight limit when the policy comes into force.
