The timetable so far.
This is the government’s timetable as updated on gov.uk on 25 September 2026. The 2027 measures depend on regulations still to be made, and the government says their timings will be updated after consultation: check gov.uk before relying on a date.
What changes for the rota.
Practices with staff on zero or low hours (part-time nurses, weekend cover) will need to publish shifts with reasonable notice and pay when they cancel late. The detail (how much notice is “reasonable”, which workers are covered, how much is paid) depends on regulations not yet made at the time of writing.
- List who in your team works on zero or low hours today.
- Measure how far ahead you publish the rota now, and how often shifts move at the last minute.
- Plan for a rota published earlier and changed less, especially for nights and weekends.
What doesn’t change.
The Working Time Regulations 1998 still set the core limits: 11 hours’ daily rest (regulation 10), weekly rest (regulation 11), a 20-minute break after 6 hours (regulation 12) and the 48-hour average over 17 weeks unless the worker opts out (regulations 4 and 5).
Where Djed fits.
Djed builds the month ahead and, once published, the rota no longer moves without a decision you can see: that helps with notice of shifts. Djed doesn’t track contracted hours against the future zero-hours rules, doesn’t calculate cancellation pay and doesn’t check limits counted in hours. The working time rules are summarised in our guide to the Working Time Regulations.
Sources and date checked.
- Employment Rights Act 2025 (c. 36), text as enacted.
- Department for Business and Trade, Employment Rights Act implementation timeline on gov.uk, update of 25 September 2026.
- Working Time Regulations 1998 (SI 1998/1833), regulations 4 to 12. Northern Ireland has its own regulations, the Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016, with the same limits.
Texts checked on 5 October 2026; dates later than that may have moved. This guide is not legal advice: for your own situation, speak to your HR or employment adviser.
Where to go next.
- The working time limits a rota has to respect today: our Working Time Regulations guide, the reference guide of this series.
- On-call and when it counts as working time: our on-call guide.
- Night workers, the 8-hour average: night work in UK practices.
- Records, since 2027 will turn on proving what was worked: what regulation 9 still requires.
Frequently asked questions.
When does the Employment Rights Act 2025 apply?
It received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025. Day-one sick pay and the Fair Work Agency started in April 2026 and the 6-month tribunal time limit on 1 October 2026; the zero-hours measures are planned for 2027, with timings to be confirmed.
What changes for shift notice?
The roadmap plans reasonable notice of shifts and pay for late cancellations for workers on zero or low hours from 2027, with details set by regulations still to come.