January 2027 is now the target start date for the Employment Rights Act 2025 duty requiring employers to tell workers in writing about their right to join a trade union.
The government pushed back the original 30 October launch after consulting on how to implement the rule while limiting the burden on employers, and published its response alongside the revised timetable.
Employers will have to give new hires the statement with their written particulars, while existing staff must receive it directly by 5 April each year or be told where to find it indirectly, such as on an intranet.
The standard statement will be government-produced and only lightly editable, covering unions' role, recognized unions and access agreements, members' statutory rights, and the Certification Officer's union list.
Businesses are being told to build onboarding, annual reminder and change-notification processes now, and to train HR teams and managers before the duty takes effect.