New Reporting Duties for Large Employers
Mandatory Action Plans for Menopause and Pay Gaps
The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces new, mandatory obligations for large employers (those with 250+ employees) to proactively address workplace equality. These include the requirement to develop and publish specific action plans for menopause support and gender pay gap reduction, moving beyond mere reporting to tangible commitments.
Is Your Business Ready for the Biggest Shift in Employment Law?
What's New? Mandatory Action Plans for Large Employers
For organisations with 250 or more employees, the Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces two significant new requirements, expected in 2027:
Mandatory Menopause Action Plans: Large employers must now produce and publish a Menopause Action Plan, outlining how they will actively support employees experiencing menopause.
Mandatory Gender Pay Gap Action Plans: Beyond just reporting data, large employers will be legally required to create and publish formal action plans detailing the steps they will take to reduce their gender pay gap.
These changes reflect a heightened focus on active measures to promote fairness and inclusivity in the workplace, requiring strategic planning and implementation from affected businesses.
How to Prepare
Start Gathering Data: If you don't already, begin formulating strategies to tackle your gender pay gap. This will form the basis of your future action plan.
Consult with Employees: Engage with your workforce, perhaps through employee resource groups, to understand what support is needed for employees experiencing menopause.
Review Existing Support: Assess your current policies, training, and support structures related to wellbeing and diversity to see how they can be built upon for these new action plans.
Mandatory Menopause Action Plans
Large employers will be required to produce and publish a Menopause Action Plan. This plan must set out how the organisation will actively support its employees through the menopause. This formalises the growing expectation for employers to provide support for menopausal staff, making it a legal requirement.
Mandatory Gender Pay Gap Action Plans
While employers with 250+ staff are already required to publish their gender pay gap data, publishing an action plan to address the gap has only been voluntary. The new Act will make this a mandatory requirement. Large employers will not only have to report their data but also create and publish a formal plan detailing the steps they will take to reduce their gender pay gap.
Lead the Way on Workplace Equality
Meeting these new mandatory requirements for action plans is a significant undertaking. CIPD HR-inform Pro provides the data analysis tools, best-practice guides, and policy templates you need to develop meaningful and compliant Menopause and Gender Pay Gap action plans.
Employment Rights Act 2025 Download a summary
After more than a year of debate, the Employment Rights Bill became law on 18 December 2025 as the Employment Rights Act 2025. This is the biggest shake-up of employment law in a generation, with over 28 changes rolling out between December 2025 and into 2027. While this phased approach to the reforms gives employers time to prepare, now is the moment to get ahead. Explore what’s changing and what it means for your organisation, including key updates on sickness absence, paternity leave, parental leave, trade union access, and more.
Prepare for the Employment Rights Act 2025
The Employment Rights Act 2025 ushers in the most significant changes to UK employment law in a generation. Our CIPD HR-inform Pro product service is designed to be your essential guide, providing comprehensive resources, expert advice, and practical tools to ensure your business remains compliant and agile.
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You didn't start a business to become an employment lawyer. The Employment Rights Act 2025 adds layers of complexity to hiring and managing staff. CIPD HR-inform Pro acts as your virtual HR department, giving you the contracts, policies, and answers you need, so you can focus on growth
HR Managers are Busy Enough
The Employment Rights Act 2025 is the biggest legislative shift in years. You need more than just news; you need actionable tools. CIPD HR-inform Pro provides the technical breakdowns, the model policies, and the strategic roadmaps to help you guide your leadership team through these changes with confidence.