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Majority of employers unprepared for Employment Rights Act, survey finds

A survey by UKG of more than 2,000 UK employees found that 64% of frontline workers still receive shift updates through informal channels.

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Majority of employers unprepared for Employment Rights Act, survey finds
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Most employers are not ready for the scheduling, notice and compensation requirements introduced under the Employment Rights Act 2025, according to research from workforce management platform UKG.

A survey of more than 2,000 UK employees found that 64% of frontline workers still receive shift updates through informal channels such as email, text messages, messaging apps, paper rotas or verbal communication.

These methods lack a clear audit trail, potentially leaving employers exposed to compliance risks once the legislation is fully implemented.

The Employment Rights Act aims to strengthen worker protections by introducing rights to guaranteed hours, reasonable notice of shifts and compensation for short-notice cancellations, while also limiting ‘fire and rehire’ practices and expanding dismissal and redundancy protections.

Russell Howe, group vice president EMEA at UKG, said, “Our study provides the first real indicator of employer preparedness as the Employment Rights Act is phased in.

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“Organisations using modern scheduling and workforce managements platforms will be best positioned to adapt to the changes, maintain compliance, and build employee trust.

“Those relying on spreadsheet rotas and ad hoc communications will struggle to ensure accurate compensation for last-minute changes. They will face compliance challenges and will fall behind their competitors in business performance and recruiting.”

The research found that one third (33%) of frontline workers receive rota updates through WhatsApp, text messages or email, while a further 26% receive updates through physical notices or verbal instructions.

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According to UKG, these informal approaches make it difficult for organisations to demonstrate compliance, track schedule changes and ensure workers receive legally required compensation for last-minute shift changes.

Howe added: “Frontline-heavy industries like hospitality, logistics, manufacturing, and retail, need modern and proactive workforce management systems.

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“Without them, organisations lack the labour insights needed to match staffing with demand. Now they will also face additional compliance risk, especially during seasonal peaks and valleys when customer demand fluctuates.”

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The survey also found that nearly six in 10 frontline workers (59%) believe employees should receive at least one week’s notice for schedule changes, while 27% said they would prefer two weeks or more. Only 6% considered notice of zero to one day acceptable.

More than a quarter of respondents (26%) said their shifts had been changed or cancelled with less than seven days’ notice at least sometimes during the previous six months.

However, only 23% of shift workers reported receiving compensation for short-notice cancellations, suggesting many employers may need to introduce new compensation practices once the legislation takes effect.

The findings also indicated a potential gender gap in compensation practices.

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While 29% of men reported receiving compensation for short-notice shift changes, only 17% of women said the same.

Howe concluded: “The Employment Rights Act should push organisations to finally retire paper rotas and fragmented communications.

“Countries and cities with similar scheduling laws show that organisations using AI-enabled workforce tools that provide real-time visibility, predictive scheduling, and robust audit trails are able to plan further ahead and offer employees the stability they want.”

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