{"id":17756,"date":"2026-05-20T14:24:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T14:24:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/?post_type=resources&#038;p=17756"},"modified":"2026-05-26T14:33:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T14:33:19","slug":"employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered","status":"publish","type":"resources","link":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/","title":{"rendered":"Employment Rights Act 2025 trade union law changes: Your questions answered"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-primary-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b5fc8583 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:25px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-7fc3d43a wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:70%\">\n<p class=\"\">by <strong>Nick Chronias<\/strong>, Partner at DAC Beachcroft LLP<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong>The Employment Rights Act 2025 contains many reforms to trade union-related workplace legislation.\u00a0Employment lawyer and trade union relations specialist Nick Chronias recently presented a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/talent-management\/employee-relations\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-access\/\">Brightmine\u00a0webinar<\/a>\u00a0on the subject. Here he answers some of the questions he didn&#8217;t have time to address during the session.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Initial changes to trade union laws were implemented at Royal Assent in December 2025, then in February and April of this year. On 1 October 2026, a further wave of Employment Rights Act 2025 union legislation reforms will come into force, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">A requirement for employers to provide workers with a written statement that they have the right to join a trade union and explain what unions do; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">The introduction of a right of union access to the workplace (both physical and virtual), to meet, support, represent, recruit or organise workers, and to facilitate collective bargaining<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Final Regulations confirming the details of these measures are still awaited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. How should we inform new employees of their right to join a trade union &#8211; will this go into their contracts or statements of employment particulars? And what&#8217;s the best way to tell existing staff?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">A: That&#8217;s still not entirely clear, as we are awaiting the Government&#8217;s response to its consultation on this point. However, as things stand, we think it should go into a separate document sent out to new recruits at the same time as employment particulars. When it comes to existing staff, it depends on how you communicate with them. You could put this information on an accessible intranet page, into a social media post accessible to all colleagues, on physical noticeboards or a combination of these.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Do we now have to recognise a trade union even if we never have before? What if we already have an employee forum or staff council?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">A: No, you do not. You can only be required to recognise a union if it is successful in a statutory recognition ballot. However, having an employee forum or staff council does not prevent a union from applying for recognition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. If we do not currently recognise a trade union, do we have to research which ones are available and pick one to tell the employees about? Or do they have to have options?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">A: No, you do not have to research and recognise one. You can continue with existing employee engagement arrangements, set up an employee forum, voluntarily recognise a union or see if you receive a request for statutory recognition from a union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. Can union access be restricted to outside working hours <strong>\u2014<\/strong> for example, outside the school day?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">A: This is contentious and not entirely clear from the draft access code. The Government starts by stating access should usually be during normal working hours. It then states consideration should be given to holding events during rest periods or towards the end of shifts. So, you can negotiate for access to happen during rest periods but expect trade unions to push for it to be during working hours. If this can&#8217;t be agreed, the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) decides the issue and will be swayed by when the employer typically holds meetings with its workforce and the degree of business disruption caused by access at a particular time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>5. What are the risks if we get things wrong? For example, what penalties or legal consequences could we face for non-compliance or missteps under these new laws?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">A: The consequences of non-compliance with the access laws are heavy fines: up to \u00a375,000 for the first breach, up to \u00a3150,000 for the second, and up to \u00a3500,000 for the third and any subsequent breaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>6. If a retail store has fewer than 20 employees, but the business as a whole has more than that, would access be refused for the individual store?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">A: No, it&#8217;s the number of workers in the business as a whole that counts, not those in an individual store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>7. Is it right that a business with fewer than 20 employees will not be required to allow trade union access under these reforms?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">A: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>8. What will unions actually request under the new access rights <strong>\u2014<\/strong> for example, onsite meetings, digital communications, how often (eg. weekly?) <strong>\u2014<\/strong> and what do we need to provide or avoid?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">A: That is up to the union, and we expect requests to vary depending on the workforce &#8211; for example, we expect digital access to be key where a workforce largely works remotely. So, a request could be a mixture of digital and onsite and with varying regularity depending on the union&#8217;s resources. You can seek to negotiate access arrangements with the union that take account of your operational and client needs, but the Government has not allowed for them to be used as reasons to refuse access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>9. If we already have a recognised trade union, do we have to provide access to other (non-recognised) trade unions under the new regulations?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">A: Almost certainly not. Recognition of one union is a reason why the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) may refuse an access request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>10. We have a strong colleague forum (staff council). How will the encouragement of trade union recognition work with these groups?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">A: They can run alongside each other. Remember recognition is not a requirement unless a union is successful in a statutory ballot. If it is, you can still engage with the forum and trade union on the same issues, but you will have to consult with the union for the bargaining group it is recognised for on TUPE transfers and collective redundancies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>11. In February 2026, the notice of industrial action that unions must provide to employers was reduced from 14 days to 10 days (initially seven days was proposed). Is the notice of industrial action 10 working days or 10 calendar days under the new law?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">A: Ten calendar days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>12. Is it right that unions can join together to achieve the recognition threshold?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">A: Yes, two unions can make a joint statutory recognition request, and their joint membership will be counted in deciding if they meet the 10% membership threshold.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column lnrs-hide-block-on-mobile is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-left-color:var(--wp--preset--color--secondary-gray);border-left-width:2px;padding-left:10px;flex-basis:30%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained wp-container-1 is-position-sticky\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-bleach-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-a36fa716 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding-top:10px;padding-right:15px;padding-bottom:15px;padding-left:15px\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Navigate HR complexity with confidence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">With Brightmine, you can build powerful people strategies, implement best practices and set your organisation up for a brighter future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Learn how our tools, resources and automation can empower you and your team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"\/uk\/solutions\/?intcmp=cta|blog|solutions|learn-more\" style=\"border-radius:25px\">Learn more<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">\n<p class=\"\"><a href=\"#top\">Go back to the top<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-primary-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4b7a3f7f wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:25px;margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You may also be interested in&#8230;<\/h2>\n\n\n<section id=\"resources-search-filter\" class=\"wp-elements-1a99c58b114097d7ed01b37dda17e8f9 wp-block-brightmine-resources-filter has-text-color has-primary-gray-color has-background has-primary-white-background-color\">\n\n\n<div class=\"ajax-filter\">\n<div class=\"lnrs-resources-search-filter   \">\n\t\t<div class=\"search_terms_bottom\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"bottom_left\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"search_terms_result_count\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"bottom_right\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"loader-container\">\n\t\t<span class=\"loader\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-filter-widget__container\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__resource\" style=\"background-color: #f3f2f0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/disciplinary\/checklist-for-initial-settlement-discussion-during-performance-improvement-procedure\/\"><div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__resource_image\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/11113243\/two-people-shaking-hands-during-office-meeting.webp);\"><\/div><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__inner_content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"content-top\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__categories\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__category\">Tools &amp; templates<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"title\" style=\"color: #00728B\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/disciplinary\/checklist-for-initial-settlement-discussion-during-performance-improvement-procedure\/\">Checklist for having initial settlement discussion during performance improvement procedure<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"color: #202526\">This checklist supports employers in preparing for and holding an initial settlement discussion with an employee who is &#8230;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__resource\" style=\"background-color: #f3f2f0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/absence-management\/letter-confirming-stage-1-short-term-sickness-absence-meeting-outcome\/\"><div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__resource_image\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/31122913\/two-people-having-conversation-in-office-setting.webp);\"><\/div><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__inner_content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"content-top\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__categories\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__category\">Tools &amp; templates<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"title\" style=\"color: #00728B\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/absence-management\/letter-confirming-stage-1-short-term-sickness-absence-meeting-outcome\/\">Letter confirming outcome of stage 1 short-term sickness absence meeting<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"color: #202526\">A stage 1 short\u2011term sickness absence meeting helps employers address attendance concerns early and set clear expectations going &#8230;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__resource\" style=\"background-color: #f3f2f0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/talent-management\/employee-engagement\/employee-disengagement-at-work\/\"><div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__resource_image\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/09155114\/employee-burnout.webp);\"><\/div><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__inner_content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"content-top\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__categories\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__category\">Blogs<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"title\" style=\"color: #00728B\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/talent-management\/employee-engagement\/employee-disengagement-at-work\/\">Employee disengagement at work:\u00a0How HR can\u00a0push back against \u201cquiet quitting\u201d<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"color: #202526\">Employee disengagement is often hard to spot until it starts affecting performance, morale and retention. This article looks &#8230;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-primary-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fcdab8bb wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:25px;margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:clamp(17.905px, 1.119rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 1.383), 28px);\">About the author<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-658170e2 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100px\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized has-custom-border is-style-rounded\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"128\" height=\"128\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/03\/12085308\/Brightmine_Favicon_128px.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-313\" style=\"border-radius:25px;object-fit:cover;width:100px;height:100px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Nick Chronias<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Nick is a partner in DAC Beachcroft&#8217;s employment and pensions group. Nick advises a range of clients including: a household name in consumer goods; many healthcare providers (from globally known foundation trusts to leading independent sector companies); and other large employers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Nick is one of the rare legal specialists in trade union relations. He advises on the full range of issues including recognition, changing collective agreements and industrial action. He has sought injunctions to restrain strike action and advised on strategies to mitigate the impact of it. He regularly gives strategic advice to employers on large restructuring and other non-contentious issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-primary-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-25006add3b478f31b1037b4a007b3fc3\">Nick is a specialist in multi-party employment cases. He represented the employers in the largest single test case in employment tribunal history. Nick is also an experienced litigator; handling cases in the courts and employment tribunal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-primary-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0fd240ca wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" id=\"newsletter\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-large-font-size\">Sign up to receive expert HR insights from Brightmine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-ebe15cfa wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Join our community and stay updated with industry trends, expert insights, valuable resources, webinar invites\u2026 and much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Sign up now and receive regular updates straight to your inbox!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-contact-form-7-contact-form-selector is-style-flex-layout\" redirectaftersubmission=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/thank-you-insights-email\/\">\n<div class=\"wpcf7 no-js\" id=\"wpcf7-f10351-o1\" lang=\"none\" dir=\"ltr\" data-wpcf7-id=\"10351\">\n<div class=\"screen-reader-response\"><p role=\"status\" aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\"><\/p> <ul><\/ul><\/div>\n<form action=\"\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resources\/17756#wpcf7-f10351-o1\" method=\"post\" class=\"wpcf7-form init\" aria-label=\"Contact form\" novalidate=\"novalidate\" data-status=\"init\">\n<fieldset class=\"hidden-fields-container\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7\" value=\"10351\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_version\" value=\"6.1.5\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_locale\" value=\"\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_unit_tag\" value=\"wpcf7-f10351-o1\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_container_post\" value=\"0\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_posted_data_hash\" value=\"\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_title\" value=\"Newsletter\" \/>\n<\/fieldset>\n<input class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-hidden\" id=\"elqFormName\" value=\"sparknewsletter\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"elqFormName\" \/>\n<input class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-hidden\" id=\"elqSiteID\" value=\"1006146\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"elqSiteID\" \/>\n<input class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-hidden\" id=\"sfid\" value=\"\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"sfid\" \/>\n<input class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-hidden\" id=\"cmpid\" value=\"\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"cmpid\" \/>\n<input class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-hidden\" id=\"elqCookieWrite\" value=\"0\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"elqCookieWrite\" \/>\n<input class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-hidden\" id=\"elqCustomerGUID\" value=\"\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"elqCustomerGUID\" \/>\n<input class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-hidden a-s-text\" id=\"a-s-text\" value=\"\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"a-s-text\" \/>\n<input class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-hidden\" id=\"Market\" value=\"UK\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"Market\" \/>\n<input class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-hidden\" id=\"Website\" value=\"Website\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"Website\" \/>\n<input class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-hidden\" id=\"utm_source\" value=\"\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"utm_source\" \/>\n<input class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-hidden\" id=\"utm_medium\" value=\"\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"utm_medium\" \/>\n<input class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-hidden\" id=\"utm_campaign\" value=\"\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"utm_campaign\" \/>\n<input class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-hidden\" id=\"utm_content\" value=\"\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"utm_content\" \/>\n<input class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-hidden\" id=\"utm_content_type\" value=\"\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"utm_content_type\" \/>\n<input class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-hidden\" value=\"\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"Source\" \/>\n\n<div class=\"c-grid  form-fields\">\n<div class=\"form-inputs-container\">\n<div class=\"inputs-container\">\n<div><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"firstName\"><input size=\"40\" maxlength=\"35\" minlength=\"2\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text wpcf7-validates-as-required\" id=\"FirstName\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" placeholder=\"Name\" value=\"\" type=\"text\" name=\"firstName\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"EmailAddress\"><input size=\"40\" maxlength=\"320\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-email wpcf7-validates-as-required wpcf7-text wpcf7-validates-as-email\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" placeholder=\"Business email address\" value=\"\" type=\"email\" name=\"EmailAddress\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"Country\"><select class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-select wpcf7-validates-as-required\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" name=\"Country\"><option value=\"\">Your country \/ region<\/option><option value=\"United Kingdom\">United Kingdom<\/option><option value=\"United States\">United States<\/option><option value=\"Afghanistan\">Afghanistan<\/option><option value=\"Aland Islands\">Aland Islands<\/option><option value=\"Albania\">Albania<\/option><option value=\"Algeria\">Algeria<\/option><option value=\"American Samoa\">American Samoa<\/option><option value=\"Andorra\">Andorra<\/option><option value=\"Angola\">Angola<\/option><option value=\"Anguilla\">Anguilla<\/option><option value=\"Antarctica\">Antarctica<\/option><option value=\"Antigua and Barbuda\">Antigua and Barbuda<\/option><option value=\"Argentina\">Argentina<\/option><option value=\"Armenia\">Armenia<\/option><option value=\"Aruba\">Aruba<\/option><option value=\"Australia\">Australia<\/option><option value=\"Austria\">Austria<\/option><option value=\"Azerbaijan\">Azerbaijan<\/option><option value=\"Bahamas\">Bahamas<\/option><option value=\"Bahrain\">Bahrain<\/option><option value=\"Bangladesh\">Bangladesh<\/option><option value=\"Barbados\">Barbados<\/option><option value=\"Belarus\">Belarus<\/option><option value=\"Belgium\">Belgium<\/option><option value=\"Belize\">Belize<\/option><option value=\"Benin\">Benin<\/option><option value=\"Bermuda\">Bermuda<\/option><option value=\"Bhutan\">Bhutan<\/option><option value=\"Bolivia, Plurinational State\">Bolivia, Plurinational State<\/option><option value=\"Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba\">Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba<\/option><option value=\"Bosnia and Herzegovina\">Bosnia and Herzegovina<\/option><option value=\"Botswana\">Botswana<\/option><option value=\"Bouvet Island\">Bouvet Island<\/option><option value=\"Brazil\">Brazil<\/option><option value=\"British Indian Ocean Territory\">British Indian Ocean Territory<\/option><option value=\"Brunei\n    Darussalam\">Brunei\n    Darussalam<\/option><option value=\"Bulgaria\">Bulgaria<\/option><option value=\"Burkina Faso\">Burkina Faso<\/option><option value=\"Burundi\">Burundi<\/option><option value=\"Cambodia\">Cambodia<\/option><option value=\"Cameroon\">Cameroon<\/option><option value=\"Canada\">Canada<\/option><option value=\"Cape Verde\">Cape Verde<\/option><option value=\"Cayman Islands\">Cayman Islands<\/option><option value=\"Central African Republic\">Central African Republic<\/option><option value=\"Chad\">Chad<\/option><option value=\"Chile\">Chile<\/option><option value=\"China\">China<\/option><option value=\"Christmas Island\">Christmas Island<\/option><option value=\"Cocos (Keeling) Islands\">Cocos (Keeling) Islands<\/option><option value=\"Colombia\">Colombia<\/option><option value=\"Comoros\">Comoros<\/option><option value=\"Congo\">Congo<\/option><option value=\"Congo, the Democratic Republic of the\">Congo, the Democratic Republic of the<\/option><option value=\"Cook Islands\">Cook Islands<\/option><option value=\"Costa Rica\">Costa Rica<\/option><option value=\"Cote d&#039;Ivoire\">Cote d&#039;Ivoire<\/option><option value=\"Croatia\">Croatia<\/option><option value=\"Cuba\">Cuba<\/option><option value=\"Cura\u00e7ao\">Cura\u00e7ao<\/option><option value=\"Cyprus\">Cyprus<\/option><option value=\"Czech\n    Republic\">Czech\n    Republic<\/option><option value=\"Denmark\">Denmark<\/option><option value=\"Djibouti\">Djibouti<\/option><option value=\"Dominica\">Dominica<\/option><option value=\"Dominican Republic\">Dominican Republic<\/option><option value=\"Ecuador\">Ecuador<\/option><option value=\"Egypt\">Egypt<\/option><option value=\"El Salvador\">El Salvador<\/option><option value=\"Equatorial Guinea\">Equatorial Guinea<\/option><option value=\"Eritrea\">Eritrea<\/option><option value=\"Estonia\">Estonia<\/option><option value=\"Eswatini\">Eswatini<\/option><option value=\"Ethiopia\">Ethiopia<\/option><option value=\"Falkland Islands (Malvinas)\">Falkland Islands (Malvinas)<\/option><option value=\"Faroe Islands\">Faroe Islands<\/option><option value=\"Fiji\">Fiji<\/option><option value=\"Finland\">Finland<\/option><option value=\"France\">France<\/option><option value=\"French Guiana\">French Guiana<\/option><option value=\"French Polynesia\">French Polynesia<\/option><option value=\"French Southern Territories\">French Southern Territories<\/option><option value=\"Gabon\">Gabon<\/option><option value=\"Gambia\">Gambia<\/option><option value=\"Georgia\">Georgia<\/option><option value=\"Germany\">Germany<\/option><option value=\"Ghana\">Ghana<\/option><option value=\"Gibraltar\">Gibraltar<\/option><option value=\"Greece\">Greece<\/option><option value=\"Greenland\">Greenland<\/option><option value=\"Grenada\">Grenada<\/option><option value=\"Guadeloupe\">Guadeloupe<\/option><option value=\"Guam\">Guam<\/option><option value=\"Guatemala\">Guatemala<\/option><option value=\"Guernsey\">Guernsey<\/option><option value=\"Guinea\">Guinea<\/option><option value=\"Guinea-Bissau\">Guinea-Bissau<\/option><option value=\"Guyana\">Guyana<\/option><option value=\"Haiti\">Haiti<\/option><option value=\"Heard Island and McDonald Islands\">Heard Island and McDonald Islands<\/option><option value=\"Holy\n    See (Vatican City State)\">Holy\n    See (Vatican City State)<\/option><option value=\"Honduras\">Honduras<\/option><option value=\"Hong Kong\">Hong Kong<\/option><option value=\"Hungary\">Hungary<\/option><option value=\"Iceland\">Iceland<\/option><option value=\"India\">India<\/option><option value=\"Indonesia\">Indonesia<\/option><option value=\"Iran, Islamic Republic of\">Iran, Islamic Republic of<\/option><option value=\"Iraq\">Iraq<\/option><option value=\"Ireland\">Ireland<\/option><option value=\"Isle of Man\">Isle of Man<\/option><option value=\"Israel\">Israel<\/option><option value=\"Italy\">Italy<\/option><option value=\"Jamaica\">Jamaica<\/option><option value=\"Japan\">Japan<\/option><option value=\"Jersey\">Jersey<\/option><option value=\"Jordan\">Jordan<\/option><option value=\"Kazakhstan\">Kazakhstan<\/option><option value=\"Kenya\">Kenya<\/option><option value=\"Kiribati\">Kiribati<\/option><option value=\"Korea, Democratic People&#039;s Republic of\">Korea, Democratic People&#039;s Republic of<\/option><option value=\"Korea, Republic of\">Korea, Republic of<\/option><option value=\"Kosovo\">Kosovo<\/option><option value=\"Kuwait\">Kuwait<\/option><option value=\"Kyrgyzstan\">Kyrgyzstan<\/option><option value=\"Lao People&#039;s Democratic Republic\">Lao People&#039;s Democratic Republic<\/option><option value=\"Latvia\">Latvia<\/option><option value=\"Lebanon\">Lebanon<\/option><option value=\"Lesotho\">Lesotho<\/option><option value=\"Liberia\">Liberia<\/option><option value=\"Libyan Arab Jamahiriya\">Libyan Arab Jamahiriya<\/option><option value=\"Liechtenstein\">Liechtenstein<\/option><option value=\"Lithuania\">Lithuania<\/option><option value=\"Luxembourg\">Luxembourg<\/option><option value=\"Macao\">Macao<\/option><option value=\"Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic\n    of\">Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic\n    of<\/option><option value=\"Madagascar\">Madagascar<\/option><option value=\"Malawi\">Malawi<\/option><option value=\"Malaysia\">Malaysia<\/option><option value=\"Maldives\">Maldives<\/option><option value=\"Mali\">Mali<\/option><option value=\"Malta\">Malta<\/option><option value=\"Marshall\n    Islands\">Marshall\n    Islands<\/option><option value=\"Martinique\">Martinique<\/option><option value=\"Mauritania\">Mauritania<\/option><option value=\"Mauritius\">Mauritius<\/option><option value=\"Mayotte\">Mayotte<\/option><option value=\"Mexico\">Mexico<\/option><option value=\"Micronesia\">Micronesia<\/option><option value=\"Moldova, Republic of\">Moldova, Republic of<\/option><option value=\"Monaco\">Monaco<\/option><option value=\"Mongolia\">Mongolia<\/option><option value=\"Montenegro\">Montenegro<\/option><option value=\"Montserrat\">Montserrat<\/option><option value=\"Morocco\">Morocco<\/option><option value=\"Mozambique\">Mozambique<\/option><option value=\"Myanmar\">Myanmar<\/option><option value=\"Namibia\">Namibia<\/option><option value=\"Nauru\">Nauru<\/option><option value=\"Nepal\">Nepal<\/option><option value=\"Netherlands\">Netherlands<\/option><option value=\"New Caledonia\">New Caledonia<\/option><option value=\"New Zealand\">New Zealand<\/option><option value=\"Nicaragua\">Nicaragua<\/option><option value=\"Niger\">Niger<\/option><option value=\"Nigeria\">Nigeria<\/option><option value=\"Niue\">Niue<\/option><option value=\"Norfolk Island\">Norfolk Island<\/option><option value=\"Northern Mariana Islands\">Northern Mariana Islands<\/option><option value=\"Norway\">Norway<\/option><option value=\"Oman\">Oman<\/option><option value=\"Pakistan\">Pakistan<\/option><option value=\"Palau\">Palau<\/option><option value=\"Palestinian Territory, Occupied\">Palestinian Territory, Occupied<\/option><option value=\"Panama\">Panama<\/option><option value=\"Papua New\n    Guinea\">Papua New\n    Guinea<\/option><option value=\"Paraguay\">Paraguay<\/option><option value=\"Peru\">Peru<\/option><option value=\"Philippines\">Philippines<\/option><option value=\"Pitcairn\">Pitcairn<\/option><option value=\"Poland\">Poland<\/option><option value=\"Portugal\">Portugal<\/option><option value=\"Puerto Rico\">Puerto Rico<\/option><option value=\"Qatar\">Qatar<\/option><option value=\"Reunion\">Reunion<\/option><option value=\"Romania\">Romania<\/option><option value=\"Russian Federation\">Russian Federation<\/option><option value=\"Rwanda\">Rwanda<\/option><option value=\"Saint Barth\u00e9lemy\">Saint Barth\u00e9lemy<\/option><option value=\"Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha\">Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha<\/option><option value=\"Saint\n    Kitts and Nevis\">Saint\n    Kitts and Nevis<\/option><option value=\"Saint Lucia\">Saint Lucia<\/option><option value=\"Saint Martin (French part)\">Saint Martin (French part)<\/option><option value=\"Saint Pierre\n    and Miquelon\">Saint Pierre\n    and Miquelon<\/option><option value=\"Saint Vincent and the Grenadines\">Saint Vincent and the Grenadines<\/option><option value=\"Samoa\">Samoa<\/option><option value=\"San Marino\">San Marino<\/option><option value=\"Sao\n    Tome and Principe\">Sao\n    Tome and Principe<\/option><option value=\"Saudi Arabia\">Saudi Arabia<\/option><option value=\"Senegal\">Senegal<\/option><option value=\"Serbia\">Serbia<\/option><option value=\"Seychelles\">Seychelles<\/option><option value=\"Sierra\n    Leone\">Sierra\n    Leone<\/option><option value=\"Singapore\">Singapore<\/option><option value=\"Sint Maarten (Dutch part)\">Sint Maarten (Dutch part)<\/option><option value=\"Slovakia\">Slovakia<\/option><option value=\"Slovenia\">Slovenia<\/option><option value=\"Solomon Islands\">Solomon Islands<\/option><option value=\"Somalia\">Somalia<\/option><option value=\"South Africa\">South Africa<\/option><option value=\"South Georgia and the South\n    Sandwich Islands\">South Georgia and the South\n    Sandwich Islands<\/option><option value=\"South Sudan\">South Sudan<\/option><option value=\"Spain\">Spain<\/option><option value=\"Sri Lanka\">Sri Lanka<\/option><option value=\"Sudan\">Sudan<\/option><option value=\"Suriname\">Suriname<\/option><option value=\"Svalbard and Jan Mayen\">Svalbard and Jan Mayen<\/option><option value=\"Sweden\">Sweden<\/option><option value=\"Switzerland\">Switzerland<\/option><option value=\"Syrian Arab Republic\">Syrian Arab Republic<\/option><option value=\"Taiwan\">Taiwan<\/option><option value=\"Tajikistan\">Tajikistan<\/option><option value=\"Tanzania, United Republic of\">Tanzania, United Republic of<\/option><option value=\"Thailand\">Thailand<\/option><option value=\"Timor-Leste\">Timor-Leste<\/option><option value=\"Togo\">Togo<\/option><option value=\"Tokelau\">Tokelau<\/option><option value=\"Tonga\">Tonga<\/option><option value=\"Trinidad and Tobago\">Trinidad and Tobago<\/option><option value=\"Tunisia\">Tunisia<\/option><option value=\"Turkey\">Turkey<\/option><option value=\"Turkmenistan\">Turkmenistan<\/option><option value=\"Turks and Caicos Islands\">Turks and Caicos Islands<\/option><option value=\"Tuvalu\">Tuvalu<\/option><option value=\"Uganda\">Uganda<\/option><option value=\"Ukraine\">Ukraine<\/option><option value=\"United Arab Emirates\">United Arab Emirates<\/option><option value=\"United\n    States Minor Outlying Islands\">United\n    States Minor Outlying Islands<\/option><option value=\"Uruguay\">Uruguay<\/option><option value=\"Uzbekistan\">Uzbekistan<\/option><option value=\"Vanuatu\">Vanuatu<\/option><option value=\"Venezuela,\n    Bolivarian Republic of\">Venezuela,\n    Bolivarian Republic of<\/option><option value=\"Viet Nam\">Viet Nam<\/option><option value=\"Virgin Islands, British\">Virgin Islands, British<\/option><option value=\"Wallis and\n    Futuna\">Wallis and\n    Futuna<\/option><option value=\"Western Sahara\">Western Sahara<\/option><option value=\"Yemen\">Yemen<\/option><option value=\"Zambia\">Zambia<\/option><option value=\"Zimbabwe\">Zimbabwe<\/option><\/select><\/span><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"form-submit\">\n<button type=\"submit\" id=\"contact-us-submit-button\" class=\"wp-block-button__link wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-submit has-spinner\">Get our latest updates<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\nLNRS Data Services Limited and its affiliates may contact you about relevant solutions, services, events and industry insights. You can opt-out via the unsubscribe link in the communications that you receive or by contacting us.\n<\/p><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"client_id\" class=\"client_id\" \/><input type=\"text\" class=\"elq-itemhp-tel5\" name=\"Telephone5\" value=\"\" style=\"width:100%;\" autocomplete=\"2S0OI3\">\n\t\t<input type=\"text\" class=\"elq-itemhp-tel6\" name=\"Telephone6\" value=\"\" style=\"width:100%;\" autocomplete=\"DduwX4\">\n\t\t<input type=\"text\" class=\"elq-itemhp-tel7\" name=\"Telephone7\" value=\"\" style=\"width:100%;\" autocomplete=\"8ihsaF\"><div class=\"wpcf7-response-output\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This article answers key employer questions on the latest trade union law reforms under the Employment Rights Act 2025, including upcoming October 2026 changes. It helps HR understand new obligations around union access, employee rights and the practical implications of the reforms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":17006,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"wp-custom-template-new-resources","categories":[53],"tags":[],"topic":[99,59],"class_list":["post-17756","resources","type-resources","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-c-and-i","topic-employee-relations","topic-employment-law-updates"],"_lnrs_read_more":"","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Employment Rights Act 2025 trade union law changes: Your questions answered | Brightmine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Understand Employment Rights Act 2025 trade union law changes, including new union access rights, employer obligations and practical implications for UK workplaces\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Employment Rights Act 2025 trade union law changes: Your questions answered | Brightmine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Understand Employment Rights Act 2025 trade union law changes, including new union access rights, employer obligations and practical implications for UK workplaces\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Brightmine UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-26T14:33:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/12171529\/coworkers-working-on-laptops-in-modern-office.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"627\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@WeAreBrightmine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"15 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":[\"Article\",\"BlogPosting\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jake Orlando\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/e9bbc88a852bf7022fe49e66b45f46a9\"},\"headline\":\"Employment Rights Act 2025 trade union law changes: Your questions answered\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-20T14:24:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-26T14:33:19+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/\"},\"wordCount\":1021,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/12171529\/coworkers-working-on-laptops-in-modern-office.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Commentary and Insights\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/\",\"name\":\"Employment Rights Act 2025 trade union law changes: Your questions answered | Brightmine\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/12171529\/coworkers-working-on-laptops-in-modern-office.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-20T14:24:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-26T14:33:19+00:00\",\"description\":\"Understand Employment Rights Act 2025 trade union law changes, including new union access rights, employer obligations and practical implications for UK workplaces\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/12171529\/coworkers-working-on-laptops-in-modern-office.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/12171529\/coworkers-working-on-laptops-in-modern-office.webp\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":627,\"caption\":\"Two coworkers seated at a desk using laptops in a modern office, with one person in the foreground looking toward the camera while another works in the background near a window.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"HR compliance\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Employment law updates\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Employment Rights Act 2025 trade union law changes: Your questions answered\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/\",\"name\":\"Brightmine UK\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Brightmine\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/07092215\/Brightmine-logo_Full-color_Primary.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/07092215\/Brightmine-logo_Full-color_Primary.webp\",\"width\":1941,\"height\":508,\"caption\":\"Brightmine\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/x.com\/WeAreBrightmine\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/brightmine\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@WeAreBrightmine\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/e9bbc88a852bf7022fe49e66b45f46a9\",\"name\":\"Jake Orlando\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6cad3b0b0caf6c78c79c48f8191378fb16f1acafc3db8530fdaaa25c9fabd4d0?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6cad3b0b0caf6c78c79c48f8191378fb16f1acafc3db8530fdaaa25c9fabd4d0?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Jake Orlando\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/author\/jake-orlando\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Employment Rights Act 2025 trade union law changes: Your questions answered | Brightmine","description":"Understand Employment Rights Act 2025 trade union law changes, including new union access rights, employer obligations and practical implications for UK workplaces","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Employment Rights Act 2025 trade union law changes: Your questions answered | Brightmine","og_description":"Understand Employment Rights Act 2025 trade union law changes, including new union access rights, employer obligations and practical implications for UK workplaces","og_url":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/","og_site_name":"Brightmine UK","article_modified_time":"2026-05-26T14:33:19+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":627,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/12171529\/coworkers-working-on-laptops-in-modern-office.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@WeAreBrightmine","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"15 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":["Article","BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/"},"author":{"name":"Jake Orlando","@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/e9bbc88a852bf7022fe49e66b45f46a9"},"headline":"Employment Rights Act 2025 trade union law changes: Your questions answered","datePublished":"2026-05-20T14:24:02+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-26T14:33:19+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/"},"wordCount":1021,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/12171529\/coworkers-working-on-laptops-in-modern-office.webp","articleSection":["Commentary and Insights"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/","url":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/","name":"Employment Rights Act 2025 trade union law changes: Your questions answered | Brightmine","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/12171529\/coworkers-working-on-laptops-in-modern-office.webp","datePublished":"2026-05-20T14:24:02+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-26T14:33:19+00:00","description":"Understand Employment Rights Act 2025 trade union law changes, including new union access rights, employer obligations and practical implications for UK workplaces","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/12171529\/coworkers-working-on-laptops-in-modern-office.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/12171529\/coworkers-working-on-laptops-in-modern-office.webp","width":1200,"height":627,"caption":"Two coworkers seated at a desk using laptops in a modern office, with one person in the foreground looking toward the camera while another works in the background near a window."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employment-rights-act-2025-trade-union-law-changes-questions-answered\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"HR compliance","item":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Employment law updates","item":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Employment Rights Act 2025 trade union law changes: Your questions answered"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/","name":"Brightmine UK","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/#organization","name":"Brightmine","url":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/07092215\/Brightmine-logo_Full-color_Primary.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/07092215\/Brightmine-logo_Full-color_Primary.webp","width":1941,"height":508,"caption":"Brightmine"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/WeAreBrightmine","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/brightmine\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@WeAreBrightmine"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/e9bbc88a852bf7022fe49e66b45f46a9","name":"Jake Orlando","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6cad3b0b0caf6c78c79c48f8191378fb16f1acafc3db8530fdaaa25c9fabd4d0?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6cad3b0b0caf6c78c79c48f8191378fb16f1acafc3db8530fdaaa25c9fabd4d0?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Jake Orlando"},"url":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/author\/jake-orlando\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resources\/17756","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resources"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/resources"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17756"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resources\/17756\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17761,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resources\/17756\/revisions\/17761"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17756"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17756"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17756"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=17756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}