Legal | Three weeks on from the April employment law changes: the gap most UK SMEs still haven't closed

Three weeks ago, the biggest wave of UK employment law changes in a generation came into force. SSP from day one. The Fair Work Agency launch. Day-one paternity and parental leave. A doubled protective award for collective redundancy. A refreshed whistleblowing duty. New minimum wage rates.

For most HR professionals, the first response was a flurry of policy updates, payroll checks and quick manager briefings. A few weeks in, the dust is starting to settle. And one change is quietly causing more trouble than the rest.

The early picture

Lots of the employment law changes are admin-heavy, requiring updates to contracts, policies and payroll. But one of the changes that's proving trickier is holiday-records.

The gap UK SMEs are still wrestling with

As of 6th April 2026, employers have a legal duty to keep adequate records of statutory annual leave entitlement, leave taken, carry over and holiday pay calculations. They need to retain those records for at least six years.