Employers should review how they retain workforce records and manage harassment risks as October’s employment-law reforms take effect, Magnit Global has warned.
Ray Walker, Director of Operational Compliance, and Nana Yeboah, Director of Global Services, argue that compliance needs to be reflected in day-to-day workforce processes, rather than treated solely as a policy update.
What changes this month
The government’s implementation timetable confirms that most employment tribunal claim limits increased from three to six months on 1 October. The corresponding change for breach-of-contract claims in Scotland is due on 9 November.
Stronger harassment duties and trade union access measures are scheduled for 30 October. Employers will be required to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment and face an obligation not to permit harassment by third parties. The separate duty to inform workers of their right to join a union is scheduled for January 2027.
Transitional rules matter: the longer tribunal deadline does not automatically apply to every earlier incident. Employers and workers can check Acas guidance on tribunal time limits for the applicable dates.
From policy to evidence
Magnit says organisations should review document retention, complete and record harassment risk assessments, and examine arrangements involving customers, contractors and suppliers. Its commentary also calls for clear ownership of processes for handling union access requests.
“Third party harassment also makes this a supply chain question rather than a policy question.”
Nana Yeboah, Director of Global Services, Magnit Global
Yeboah says commercial arrangements need attention alongside the staff handbook. Walker also argues that probation and performance documentation should be reviewed before the next phase of reform.
Key figures
- Six months: the new time limit for most employment tribunal claims, subject to transitional rules.
- Around £4 million: minimum-wage arrears returned to workers in the government’s September naming round.
- More than 27,000 workers: received repayments in that round.
The pay figures come from the government’s 3 September enforcement announcement. They provide context for Magnit’s warning, rather than measuring the impact of October’s reforms.
Key takeaways
- Review workforce records and retention arrangements against the changed claim windows.
- Extend harassment risk assessments beyond direct employees’ interactions to relevant third-party relationships.
- Give upcoming compliance processes clear owners and track implementation dates.
Why it matters: For recruiters and HR teams, a policy is only useful if it is supported by accessible records, clear responsibilities and evidence of action. That is particularly important where several organisations are involved in supplying or managing workers.
The government’s timetable also schedules a six-month unfair-dismissal qualifying period and removal of the compensatory award cap for January 2027. Future implementation dates remain subject to parliamentary processes.
See Magnit Global’s Onrec profile and our coverage of HR teams’ readiness gaps ahead of the October reforms.
Editorial illustration created for Onrec using AI.
