Following the Trends and Opportunities Event on the 28th January, Game Republic Affiliate Sarah Brewster from Fresh Seed delved further into employment law changes in an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on The Great Northern Games Discord. The free Discord chat formed part of Game Republic’s activities for 2026 supported by Official Partners Red Kite Games, Xsolla and Double Eleven.
Both sessions were filled with important changes and updates – here is an outline of some of them, Thanks to G. Allen Antoine MSC student The Manchester Metropolitan University for contributions to the article.
“As an industry, we’re maturing, the wing it approach that built us in our early days has shifted. People now have different expectations and want and expect better working conditions and with that studios need to adapt. This legislation change is a shift towards that and will require studios to be proactive working with HR as a strategic partner who can bring about studio transformation.”
Big Changes for Trade Union Rights, Sick Pay and Redundancy
One of the most significant changes on the horizon surrounds trade union rights. With the number of employees being supported by unions on the rise, the importance of for all studios to understand union rights is vital. From October 2026 employers will need to ensure all employees are aware of their right to join a union. But in an industry not used to union representation Sarah asked employers to understand what the changes are to avoid surprises later down the line.
In addition to this, from April 2026, employees will be eligible to statutory sick pay (SSP) from day one of employment. SSP being available from day one will hopefully bring with it a reduction of “presenteeism” (employees going to work while sick)
Redundancy changes were also highlighted as a key area for employers to pay close attention to. Always a sensitive and complex subject, Sarah noted that the reforms will impact studios and businesses proposing 20 or more redundancies. Currently, collective consultation obligations are triggered where an employer proposes to make 20 or more redundancies at one establishment within a 90-day period. The proposed changes go further. They introduce a new threshold that will apply where redundancies across multiple establishments reach a specified level — although the exact number has not yet been confirmed. This means organisations will need to look beyond individual sites and consider the wider business picture when assessing their consultation duties. Importantly, the consequences of getting this wrong are increasing. Protective awards — the compensation payable to employees where consultation requirements are breached — could rise from 90 days’ pay to 180 days’ pay. For many businesses, that level of exposure could be financially significant.
Employers should also expect to see changes in statutory bereavement leave and enhanced pregnancy/maternity dismissal protections. Gender pay gap and menopause action plans will also start being required at this time for organisations of 250 or more people, although Sarah recommended that all studios conduct this work as according to government statistics the impact to the economy with women in the workforce is approx £125billion.
From October 2026, employers will have stronger duties relating to the prevention of sexual harassment with this extending to also include third party suppliers as well as an emphasis on employers to take ALL reasonable steps to prevent it as well as all disclosures being protected under Whistleblowing legislation and deemed a protected disclosure. With this will be a change to NDA’s curbing the use of them in harassment cases.
Unfair Dismissal Rule Changes
The session highlighted major changes regarding unfair dismissals in the workplace which will come into effect in April 2027, recommending studios begin preparing for these changes now. The rule will see a reduction in the unfair dismissal limitation moving from two years to just six months. It will also see a removal of the unfair dismissal cap for tribunal compensation limits which is currently set at £118,325. This means businesses will need to rethink their approach to probation periods and how they handle performance issues as well as being much more purposeful in their hiring process.
We will also see the extension of the window to raise a tribunal claim, where this is currently set at 3 months it will increase to 6 months.
“This act is calling for employers to be proactive around the process of hiring and managing staff in the first 6 months.. You have be far more mature about the HR function and respect its value in supporting you to make decisions around hiring and retaining people.”
Why Employment Law Changes Matter
Whilst these changes all sound really daunting, the overall message from the session was that with better people management in the early stages you will get better outcomes from your people and avoid costly protracted issues. Stressing that the stakes will be high if businesses don’t take these changes seriously, and that employers can’t afford to “wing it” with HR processes going forward. Rest assured that help is available for businesses that are unsure, and should you find yourself in this position consider seeking professional advice. By doing this not only can your business prepare for such changes and avoid costly mistakes but it’s one step closer to creating a workplace environment where people feel valued and protected.
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