Adjusted industrial disease compensation rates for dependants and updated administrative procedures for claims involving deceased persons.

These Regulations amend the 1988 Regulations governing lump sum compensation for workers suffering from specific industrial lung diseases and their dependants.

The instrument aligns the payment rates for dependants with those of disabled sufferers, removes supplementary top-up payments for specific conditions like mesothelioma, and replaces references to abolished medical boards with modern medical practitioners.

It applies to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and affects claimants in England, Wales, and Scotland who become eligible for payments on or after 31 October 2026.

Enacted a revised statutory Code of Practice setting standards for workplace access and prohibiting unfair practices during trade union recognition and derecognition procedures from 30 October 2026.

This Order brings into legal effect a revised Code of Practice governing how trade unions access workplaces and what constitutes unfair conduct during statutory recognition and derecognition processes.

It applies to employers and trade unions in England, Wales, and Scotland involved in applications to the Central Arbitration Committee under Schedule A1 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.

The Order establishes 30 October 2026 as the commencement date for the new standards, while maintaining the 2005 Code for applications submitted before this date.

Activated a revised ACAS Code of Practice governing trade union time off entitlements effective from 30 October 2026.

This Order appoints 30 October 2026 as the commencement date for the revised ACAS Code of Practice on Time Off for Trade Union Duties and Activities.

It applies to employers and employees in England, Wales, and Scotland, providing updated guidance on the statutory rights of trade union representatives, learning representatives, and equality representatives to take time off for their respective roles.

The Order ensures that the previous 2010 Code continues to govern employment tribunal claims relating to employer failures that occurred prior to the new commencement date.

Established statutory timelines, conditions for access refusal, and financial penalties for trade union workplace access requests.

These Regulations establish the procedural framework and substantive rules governing the right of trade union officials to access workplaces in England, Wales, and Scotland.

They direct the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) to determine access disputes, prescribe strict timeframes for employer responses and negotiations, and mandate the refusal of access in specific circumstances such as national security or for employers with fewer than 21 workers.

The instrument applies to qualifying trade unions, employers, and any third parties whose cooperation is required for workplace access, while also introducing a tiered financial penalty regime for non-compliance with access orders.

Prohibited employers from subjecting workers to detriments for taking industrial action and enabled tribunal award adjustments for related claims.

These Regulations establish legal protections for workers against being subjected to any form of detriment by their employers for participating in protected industrial action.

The instrument implements powers under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 to define the scope of prohibited employer actions and integrates these protections into the existing framework for employment tribunal awards.

It applies to workers in England, Wales, and Scotland, while explicitly preserving the common law right of employers to deduct pay for time spent on strike.

Activated a new statutory Code of Practice governing how trade unions access and communicate with workers at their places of employment.

This Order establishes the effective date for the statutory Code of Practice regarding trade union access to workplaces in England, Wales, and Scotland.

It directs that the guidance, which assists trade unions and employers in managing union entry to work sites and communication with staff, officially commences on 30 October 2026.

The Order applies to employers, trade unions, and workers across the private, public, and voluntary sectors, giving legal weight to the guidance issued by the Secretary of State under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.

Added employee loans and living accommodation to the list of benefits that employers can tax directly through the PAYE system.

These Regulations amend the Income Tax (Pay As You Earn) Regulations 2003 to include employee loans and living accommodation as 'specified benefits' that can be processed through the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system.

They establish specific calculation methods for the cash equivalent or relevant amount of these benefits and permit employers to make reasonable assumptions regarding contract-based information for these calculations.

The measure enables employers to apply for 'authorised employer' status to payroll these specific benefits starting from the 2027-28 tax year.

Commenced workplace sexual harassment protections and expanded trade union recognition and access rights from 30 October 2026.

These Regulations bring several major provisions of the Employment Rights Act 2025 into force on 30 October 2026, primarily concerning workplace harassment protections, seafarers' conditions, and trade union rights.

They mandate that employers take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, introduce liability for third-party harassment, and grant trade unions expanded access to workplaces and facilities for equality representatives.

The order also establishes transitional rules to ensure that ongoing trade union recognition applications filed before the commencement date continue under the previous legal framework.