At the end of 2025, there was a significant moment for working parents.
The Employment Rights Bill has passed its final parliamentary hurdle and it received Royal Assent. From April 2026, a series of long-overdue changes will begin to come into force – changes that remove real barriers many dads face when trying to care openly and equally at work.
They won’t fix everything. But they do matter.
For the dads in the Parenting Out Loud community, these changes speak directly to stories we hear again and again.
“I missed out on statutory paternity leave by two days — so I had to use annual leave.”
No one should be making trade-offs like that at the very start of family life.
Day-one rights to paternity and shared parental leave
From April 2026, paternity leave and shared parental leave will become day-one rights.
This removes the qualifying period that previously excluded many dads, particularly those who had recently changed jobs, were in insecure work, or simply hadn’t clocked up enough service.
For too long, dads have been forced to:
- use annual leave instead of parental leave
- return to work earlier than planned
- miss out on crucial bonding time
There is still a lot to fix with paternity leave, especially pay and length, but this change removes a hard, arbitrary barrier that never made sense.
Paternity leave for bereaved partners
One of the most important changes in the Employment Rights Bill is what it means for bereaved partners. A change that’s happened due to the work and commitment of campaigners like Aaron Horsey.
Under the new law, bereaved partners will have a day 1 right to paternity leave, removing the minimum service requirement that previously excluded some parents at the most devastating moment of their lives.
For dads whose partner dies during pregnancy, childbirth, or shortly afterwards, this matters profoundly.
Grief does not wait for a qualifying period.
Until now, some bereaved fathers have had to:
- return to work far sooner than is humane
- rely on annual leave or unpaid time off
- navigate complex conversations with employers while in shock
Day 1 rights won’t take away the pain of loss. But they do remove a cruel administrative barrier at a time when compassion, time and security are essential.
Unpaid parental leave becomes a day-one right
Unpaid parental leave already exists, but until now you’ve had to work for an employer for over a year to access it.
From April 2026, that qualifying period is expected to be removed.
This gives each parent the right to take up to 18 weeks per child (until age 18), with up to four weeks per year.
For working dads, this matters because it:
- creates more flexibility over the long term
- recognises caring as a normal part of working life
- makes it easier to respond to real family needs
Unpaid leave isn’t a solution on its own, but access should never have depended on length of service.
Stronger footing when asking for flexible working
From 2027, employers will be required to engage more seriously with flexible working requests.
They’ll need to:
- give clearer reasons for refusal
- explain why those reasons are considered reasonable
Around half of working fathers say they feel nervous asking for flexibility for childcare. Culture plays a huge role here, but policy matters too.
Knowing you have a genuine right to ask, and that a refusal must be properly justified, changes the dynamic. It gives dads more confidence to speak up about how they work and how they care.
Better protection from unfair dismissal
Currently, most employees need 2 years’ service before qualifying for protection from unfair dismissal.
From January 2027, that qualifying period is expected to reduce to 6 months.
For dads, this matters because it:
- makes it safer to take leave
- makes it safer to assert caring rights
- reduces the fear of “rocking the boat” early in a role
It also plays a role in reducing the disproportionate risk mums still face around pregnancy, maternity and returning to work, helping shift expectations across the whole system.
Day-one statutory sick pay
From April 2026, Statutory Sick Pay will be paid from day one, not day four and the lower earnings limit will be removed.
This is a practical change, but an important one. When you’re juggling work, illness, childcare and family life, losing pay because you’re sick creates real pressure.
Security matters when you’re trying to show up both at home and at work.
More predictable hours and pay
From 2027, workers on zero-hours contracts will gain rights to:
- guaranteed hours
- compensation for cancelled or changed shifts
These changes are still under consultation, but the direction of travel is clear. For working dads, predictable hours and income make it easier to:
- plan childcare
- share care more equally
- be reliable at work and at home
Progress, but not the finish line
These changes matter. They remove real barriers and send an important signal that caring shouldn’t be penalised at work.
But they don’t yet deliver equal parenting.
Without properly paid, ring-fenced paternity leave, many families will still struggle to share care in a meaningful way. Day-one rights help, but affordability remains a decisive factor.
This is progress, but it is definitely not the finish line.
It feels important to name progress when it happens, while continuing to push for workplaces where care is visible, valued and shared.
That’s how culture changes, step by step, policy by policy, and story by story.