Hiring Staff in 2026: What Trades Employers Must Know Before They Recruit

This article is for guidance only. It is not legal advice.

Hiring a new member of staff in 2026 involves more legal obligations than it did in 2022. Day one rights expanded significantly from April 2026. The unfair dismissal qualifying period drops to six months in January 2027. Getting the paperwork wrong from the start creates problems that compound over time. Whether you are hiring a plumber, electrician, labourer or cleaner, this is what you must do before you put someone on your payroll.

Before you advertise the role

Write a specific job description. Set out duties, pay, hours and any certification requirements. Vague descriptions lead to disputes about what the role involves.

Check certification requirements. Gas engineers must be Gas Safe registered. Electricians working on notifiable work must be registered with a competent person scheme such as NICEIC, NAPIT or ELECSA. Hiring someone without the required certification creates liability and could invalidate your insurance.

Set a lawful wage. The national minimum wage increases each April. Check the current rates on the government website before advertising any role. Advertising below the applicable rate is unlawful.

Right to work checks

Carry out a right to work check before the employee's first day. Not the first week. Not the first month. Before they start.

You must check one of the following:

• →A valid passport or other acceptable document from the Home Office lists
• →A share code checked through the Home Office online right to work service (for non-British and non-Irish nationals)

Keep a copy of the document or a record of the online check result. If you employ someone without the right to work in the UK and cannot show you carried out a proper check, you can face a civil penalty of up to £60,000 per illegal worker.

Written statement of particulars

Since April 2020, the written statement of employment particulars must be provided on or before the first day of work. A verbal agreement is not sufficient and a statement provided after day one is a breach of the statutory requirement.

The written statement must include:

• →Employer and employee names and addresses
• →Start date and, if applicable, the date on which continuous employment began
• →Pay rate and how often it is paid
• →Hours of work and any variation to working hours
• →Holiday entitlement and pay
• →Notice periods for both employer and employee
• →Job title or a brief description of the work
• →Whether the employment is permanent or, if fixed-term, the end date
• →Any probationary period and its conditions
• →Sickness absence arrangements and sick pay

For most trades employers, a standard contract template reviewed and updated annually covers this requirement.

Day one rights in 2026

From April 2026, every new hire has the following rights from their first day:

• →SSP from the first qualifying day of sickness (no waiting days)
• →Paternity leave for eligible employees expecting or who have recently had a child
• →Parental leave for employees with parental responsibility for a child under 18
• →All pre-existing day one rights: national minimum wage, written terms, protection from discrimination and unlawful deductions

Your contract and handbook must reflect these. Any contract that references a qualifying period for paternity or parental leave is inaccurate from April 2026.

The January 2027 qualifying period change

From January 2027, employees can bring an unfair dismissal claim after six months of employment. Any hire you make from July 2026 onwards will reach six months of service on or around the date the law changes.

From your very first interaction with a new hire, you need to:

• →Give a clear written contract with a probation period of six or nine months
• →Set objectives in writing on day one
• →Hold documented reviews at regular intervals
• →Address performance or conduct concerns in writing before they escalate

Do not wait until month four to begin documenting issues with a new electrician or plumber. By the time you act, you may have only weeks before they reach six months and can bring a claim.

Payroll and auto-enrolment

From the first payday, you must deduct income tax and National Insurance under PAYE. Register new employees with HMRC before their first payday.

Eligible employees must be enrolled in a qualifying workplace pension within three months of starting. An eligible employee is one who is aged between 22 and state pension age and earns above the earnings trigger for auto-enrolment. Check the current Pensions Regulator guidance for up-to-date thresholds.