Who does this affect?

• 21 or more workers, across your whole company: a new right of access applies directly. A union can request to meet, recruit or organise your staff — in person or virtually — and once a request lands, strict statutory deadlines start running.
• Every employer, whatever your size: you'll need to give all workers a written statement confirming their right to join a trade union.
• If you recognise a union: you must also provide its representatives with reasonable facilities and accommodation.
• Every employer: stronger legal protection kicks in against penalising staff for taking part in lawful industrial action.

So even if you're nowhere near 21 employees, don't switch off — the written statement duty and the industrial action protection apply to everyone.

What to do if a request is made

Don't respond straight away. Log the date it arrived and get advice before you reply — a 15-working-day clock starts running from the moment the request is received, and getting the response wrong (or missing the deadline) can end up in front of the Central Arbitration Committee, with penalties running into six figures for repeated breaches. Early advice protects your position; a rushed reply rarely does.

Get ready before 30 October

The good news? None of this needs to be complicated — but it does need to be sorted before the 30^th October.  If you want a practical guide covering all of the above, plus an interim written statement ready to issue to your staff now, get in touch [The Government's final wording for the statement hasn't been published yet, as at 25th September 2026].