Employment Rights Act 2025

159 Commencement

(1) The following provisions of this Act come into force on the day on which this Act is passed—

(a) section 19 (review of extent of right to time off for public duties);

(b) section 37 (guidance about the employment of children on heritage railways);

(c) section 78 (repeal of provision about minimum service levels);

(d) sections 154 to 158, this section and section 160.

(2) The following provisions of this Act come into force at the end of the period of two months beginning with the day on which this Act is passed—

(a) section 61 (political funds: requirement to pass political resolution);

(b) section 62 (requirement to contribute to political fund);

(c) section 63 (deduction of trade union subscriptions from wages in public sector);

(d) section 66 (facility time: publication requirements and reserve powers);

(e) section 67 (blacklists: additional powers);

(f) section 69 (industrial action ballots: support thresholds);

(g) section 70 (industrial action ballots: information to be included in notices to employers);

(h) section 71 (industrial action ballots: information to be included on voting paper);

(i) section 72 (period after which industrial action ballot ceases to be effective);

(j) section 73 (electronic balloting);

(k) section 74 (notice to employers of industrial action);

(l) section 75 (union supervision of picketing);

(m) section 80 (union annual returns: removal of provision about political expenditure);

(n) section 82 (Certification Officer: removal of investigatory powers);

(o) section 83 (Certification Officer: powers to be exercised only on application);

(p) section 84 (Certification Officer: removal of power to impose financial penalties);

(q) section 86 (Certification Officer: appeals to the Employment Appeal Tribunal);

(r) section 87 (employment outside Great Britain);

(s) section 89 (devolved Welsh authorities).

(3) The other provisions of this Act come into force in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State.

(4) Regulations under subsection (3) may make different provision for different purposes or different areas.

(5) In deciding whether and when to make regulations under subsection (3) bringing section 68 (industrial action ballots: turnout threshold) into force for any purpose, the Secretary of State must have regard to what effect any provision made after this Act is passed for industrial action ballots to be conducted otherwise than by post has had, or is expected to have, on the proportion of those eligible to vote in such ballots doing so.

(6) The Secretary of State may not make regulations under subsection (3) bringing section 68 into force for any purpose unless the Secretary of State has laid before Parliament a statement as to how the Secretary of State has had regard to any such effect.

(7) In subsection (5) “industrial action ballot” means a ballot for the purposes of section 226 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (ballots on industrial action).