UK employment law in February 2026: Legal changes people professionals need to know
This month: Wave of Employment Rights Act 2025 consultations released and what it means for you
Recommendations for ensuring a financial safety net for workers during illness
The vulnerability of many workers forced to rely on Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) during COVID-19, or not being able to access it at all, exposed the fault lines in the UK system. This is not a new issue though, with the 2017 Taylor Review highlighting the need for regulatory changes to support people with long-term health conditions to remain in quality work.
Despite reform of SSP being a key focus of several UK government consultations, there are no plans to take forward any substantive proposals to improve the system.
This paper examines the SSP reforms that the CIPD believes are needed and makes recommendations to outline how public policy and employer practice should work together to support people’s health and employment outcomes.
Download the full policy paper and recommendations overview to find out more
To adequately support people’s health and employment outcomes, the CIPD’s recommendations for the UK Government and for employers are as follows: 
This month: Wave of Employment Rights Act 2025 consultations released and what it means for you
Explore our collection of resources around legal issues relating to whistleblowing in the workplace
Get the tools and resources that help you stay compliant with the changes to collective consultation during redundancy
Legality of sanctioning workers who strike
Insights, benchmarking data and recommendations from the CIPD's latest survey on employee benefits
A manifesto for fair, skilled and innovative work, setting out CIPD’s recommendations for policy-makers to strengthen the Scottish labour market
A manifesto for fair, skilled and innovative work, setting out CIPD’s recommendations for policy-makers to strengthen the Welsh labour market
Based on an assessment of FTSE 100 annual reports and focus groups with investors and HR leaders, this report gives benchmarking data, insights and practical recommendations for improving workforce reporting practices