Regulation 1 Citation and interpretation

These Regulations may be cited as the Employment Rights Act 2025 (Commencement No. 3 and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2026.

In these Regulations—

• “the 1992 (GB) Act” means the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992^f1;

• “the 1992 (NI) Act” means the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992^f2;

• “the 2025 Act” means the Employment Rights Act 2025;

• “the 1982 Regulations (GB)” means the Statutory Sick Pay (General) Regulations 1982^f3;

• “the 1982 Regulations (NI)” means the Statutory Sick Pay (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1982^f4;

• “day of incapacity for work in relation to a contract of service”—

  1. (a)

     in respect of an employee in Great Britain, has the meaning given in section 151(4) of the 1992 (GB) Act^f5, or

  2. (b)

     in respect of an employee in Northern Ireland, has the meaning given in section 147(4) of the 1992 (NI) Act^f6;

• “employee”—

  1. (a)

     in relation to a person in Great Britain, has the meaning given in section 163(1) of the 1992 (GB) Act^f7, or

  2. (b)

     in relation to a person in Northern Ireland, has the meaning given in section 159(1) of the 1992 (NI) Act^f8;

• “normal weekly earnings” means the employee’s average weekly earnings which are determined in accordance with—

  1. (a)

     regulation 19 of the 1982 Regulations (GB) as it has effect immediately before 6th April 2026, in relation to an employee in Great Britain, or

  2. (b)

     regulation 19 of the 1982 Regulations (NI) as it has effect immediately before 6th April 2026, in relation to an employee in Northern Ireland;

• “period of entitlement”—

  1. (a)

     in relation to an employee in Great Britain, has the meaning given in section 153 of the 1992 (GB) Act as it has effect immediately before 6th April 2026, or

  2. (b)

     in relation to an employee in Northern Ireland, has the meaning given in section 149 of the 1992 (NI) Act as it has effect immediately before 6th April 2026;

• “period of incapacity for work”—

  1. (a)

     in relation to an employee in Great Britain, has the meaning given in section 152 of the 1992 (GB) Act as it has effect immediately before 6th April 2026, or

  2. (b)

     in relation to an employee in Northern Ireland, has the meaning given in section 148 of the 1992 (NI) Act as it has effect immediately before 6th April 2026;

• “post-6th April period of entitlement” means a period of entitlement—

  1. (a)

     in relation to an employee in Great Britain, within the meaning given in section 153 of the 1992 (GB) Act, or

  2. (b)

     in relation to an employee in Northern Ireland, within the meaning given in section 149 of the 1992 (NI) Act;

• “post-6th April period of incapacity for work” means a period of incapacity for work—

  1. (a)

     in relation to an employee in Great Britain, within the meaning given in section 152 of the 1992 (GB) Act, or

  2. (b)

     in relation to an employee in Northern Ireland, within the meaning given in section 148 of the 1992 (NI) Act;

• “post-6th April qualifying day” means a qualifying day—

  1. (a)

     in relation to an employee in Great Britain, within the meaning given in section 154 of the 1992 (GB) Act, or

  2. (b)

     in relation to an employee in Northern Ireland, within the meaning given in section 150 of the 1992 (NI) Act;

• “qualifying day”—

  1. (a)

     in relation to an employee in Great Britain, has the meaning given in section 154 of the 1992 (GB) Act as it has effect immediately before 6th April 2026, or

  2. (b)

     in relation to an employee in Northern Ireland, has the meaning given in section 150 of the 1992 (NI) Act as it has effect immediately before 6th April 2026;

• “statutory sick pay”—

  1. (a)

     in relation to an employee in Great Britain, has the meaning given in section 151(1) of the 1992 (GB) Act, or

  2. (b)

     in relation to an employee in Northern Ireland, has the meaning given in section 147(1) of the 1992 (NI) Act.

In these Regulations, except where otherwise specified, any reference to a section of, or Schedule to, the 1992 (GB) Act or 1992 (NI) Act (as the case may be) is a reference to that provision as it has effect on and after 6th April 2026.