The "customer isn't always right" law

The second major raft of changes in the Employment Rights Act 2025 have come into force across England, Wales and Scotland.

Some parts of the law have been active since the spring, including so-called "day one" rights to parental leave and statutory sick pay.

New rights include better protections for workers. Employers now need to take “all reasonable steps" to prevent sexual harassment, and are also now liable if a customer harasses an employee, which has been dubbed "the customer isn't always right" law.

But what is meant by "all reasonable steps" and who will define what is meant by harassment?

There's another big change too: unions now have new legal rights to request physical and digital access to all workplaces with more than 21 employees.

But what will the changes mean for both employers and their workers? The Fair Work Agency, launched earlier this year will enforce parts of the Act, but will the changes increase the current backlog in the employment tribunals system?

Presenter: Dr Joelle Grogan
Producers: Ravi Naik and Charlotte Rowles
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith