The Employment Rights Act is now law, marking the biggest overhaul of workplace rights in a generation. For mothers, parents and families who have spent years fighting for fairness, this moment is nothing short of historic.

For the first time, new parents will have day‑one rights to paternity leave, unpaid parental leave, sick pay and bereavement leave, including early pregnancy loss. These are practical, life‑changing protections for families who have too often been forced to choose between their income and their child. Stronger protections during pregnancy and extended protection after maternity leave will give women far greater security at work, closing loopholes that have pushed too many out of their jobs. And for families in insecure work, the end of exploitative zero‑hours practices will bring guaranteed hours, pay for cancelled shifts and more predictable rotas. Stability that once felt out of reach will finally become a legal expectation.

These reforms matter because they speak directly to the realities parents face every day: the impossible choices, the financial strain, the fear of being pushed out for having a baby, the exhaustion of juggling childcare with unpredictable work. The Act doesn’t just change policy, it changes the conditions in which families live, work and plan their futures.

And it’s important to say this clearly: these changes didn’t happen by accident. They happened because parents spoke up. Because mothers shared their stories of discrimination. Because families demanded better. The courage of thousands of people across the UK has shaped this Act, and their voices are now written into law. This is their win.

But while the Act is a major step forward, it is not the finish line. Workplace discrimination is still pushing mothers out of the labour market every single day. Our parental leave system remains outdated and unequal. Some reforms, like stronger flexible working rights, won’t come into force until 2027. And shared parental leave, despite the headlines, has not been transformed into a day‑one right.

There is still a long way to go before every parent is treated with dignity, respect and fairness at work.

Most of the new rights will roll out from 2026 into 2027, and we will continue breaking down each change as it comes into force so families know exactly how to use their rights and what to expect from their employers.

For now, we celebrate a huge step forward, one won by parents, not politicians. And we keep going. Because every family deserves a workplace that works for them.