October employment law changes: is your dental practice ready?

With several employment law changes taking effect in October 2026, dental practices need to understand not only what is changing, but what they should do now to prepare. In this blog, we explain the practical impact of the reforms and the steps practice owners and managers can take to protect their teams and reduce risk.

What employment law changes do dental practices need to prepare for right now?

There are three headline changes dental practice owners and managers need to prepare for now: a stronger duty to prevent sexual harassment, new responsibilities where employees are harassed by patients or other third parties, and longer time limits for bringing employment tribunal claims. In practical terms, that means reviewing risks and policies, training managers and teams, making reporting routes clear and keeping better records.

Alongside these October reforms, practices should also check that the employment law changes introduced in April 2026 are reflected in day-to-day HR processes. The sections below explain what each development means in practice.

The biggest change: A stronger duty to prevent sexual harassment

This duty is expected to become significantly stronger, with employers required to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.

The focus is shifting away from reacting to complaints after they arise and towards demonstrating that the practice has actively identified risks and taken steps to prevent harassment from happening in the first place.

What should dental practices do?

• Review and update anti-harassment and dignity at work policies.

• Provide regular training for all staff, including associates and managers.

• Ensure practice managers know how to handle complaints appropriately.

• Create clear and confidential reporting procedures.

• Keep records of training, complaints and actions taken.

• A practice defending a tribunal claim in the future may need to demonstrate not only that it had a policy, but that the policy was actively embedded within the organisation.

Harassment by patients will become an employer issue

This is likely to be the change that attracts the most attention within dentistry.

A new duty is expected to require employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent harassment of employees by third parties, including clients, customers, visitors and patients. Anyone who has worked in dentistry long enough will know that most patients are wonderful. However, occasional incidents involving inappropriate comments, unwanted conduct, aggressive behaviour or discriminatory remarks do occur.

Historically, employers could sometimes view these as simply ‘difficult patients’. That position is becoming increasingly difficult to justify.

Practical steps for practices

Practice owners should consider:

• Having a clear zero-tolerance policy towards abusive or discriminatory behaviour from patients.

• Displaying appropriate notices in reception and waiting areas.

• Training reception staff and managers on how to respond to incidents.

• Recording and investigating complaints involving patient behaviour.

• Being prepared, where necessary, to remove patients from the practice list.

Longer tribunal time limits

Another important development is the proposed extension of tribunal time limits for many employment claims from three months to six months. Many employers underestimate the significance of this change.

A longer limitation period means:

• Potential claims remain ‘live’ for longer.

• Documentation and records become even more important.

• Workplace disputes may continue for months after an employee has left.

For dental practices, where teams are often relatively small and workplace relationships are critical, early intervention and robust HR processes will become even more important.

Don't forget the April 2026 changes

Although attention is understandably focused on October, many practices are still adapting to the April 2026 reforms, including:

• Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) becoming payable from day one.

• Removal of the lower earnings threshold for SSP.

• Day-one rights to paternity leave.

• Day-one rights to unpaid parental leave.

• Whistleblowing Protections.

The October changes build upon these earlier reforms and demonstrate a clear direction of travel: greater protection for workers and increased responsibility for employers.

What should dental practices be doing now?

Over the coming months, practice owners should:

• Audit existing HR policies.

• Update anti-harassment procedures.

• Train managers and team leaders.

• Review patient conduct policies.

• Ensure reporting mechanisms are clear and trusted.

• Keep detailed records of training and policy implementation.

• Seek advice early if concerns arise.

Practical support for your practice

Preparing for October does not have to mean working through every change alone. Our Oracle HR & Employment Law Service gives practice owners and managers ongoing access to practical advice from a team that understands the realities of running a dental practice, with the reassurance of a fixed monthly fee and support whenever it is needed.

We can help you review policies, identify risks, train your team and strengthen the processes behind your day-to-day people decisions. To find out how we can support your practice, call 0330 088 2275 or email info@buxtoncoates.com.