Google has agreed to allow trade union representatives into its UK workplaces to meet employees and recruit members, giving Prospect access to around 7,000 workers across the company's British operations.
The agreement, announced on 2 November 2026, follows the introduction of new trade union access rights under the Employment Rights Act 2025. Prospect confirmed the agreement, which allows its representatives to hold workplace meetings and communicate with employees digitally.
The development makes Google one of the first major technology companies to put the new workplace access framework into practice. It follows a similar arrangement involving Meta, which covers approximately 5,000 UK employees.
Prospect aims to expand its presence in technology
Prospect represents more than 160,000 workers across sectors including technology, science and engineering. The agreement gives it opportunities to engage with Google's UK workforce, including employees at the company's King's Cross headquarters in London.
The arrangements also cover Google's wider UK operations, including YouTube, but exclude Google DeepMind, its artificial intelligence subsidiary. Separate union organising activity is taking place at DeepMind, involving the Communication Workers Union and Unite.
Prospect already has members working at Google and other major technology businesses. It hopes the access agreement will help expand its membership and strengthen employees' ability to raise issues involving pay, flexibility, workplace culture and the use of artificial intelligence.
Prospect general secretary Mike Clancy described the agreement as an important development for union organising in the technology sector.
He said technology workers deserved a stronger voice in decisions affecting their working conditions and employment, and expressed hope that other major technology companies would establish similar arrangements.
Google says agreement will complement existing employee channels
Google confirmed that it had established a structured access agreement with Prospect to meet the requirements of the new UK legislation.
The company said the arrangement would operate alongside its existing employee representative groups and established channels for direct communication between employees and management.
The agreement does not mean Google has formally recognised Prospect for collective bargaining. Union access allows representatives to meet workers, provide information and recruit members. Formal recognition is a separate process that gives a union negotiating rights on behalf of a defined group of employees.
What the new trade union access rules mean for employers
The workplace access provisions under the Employment Rights Act 2025 took effect on 30 October 2026. They establish a statutory framework allowing independent trade unions to request physical or digital access to workplaces for activities such as meeting workers, providing advice and recruiting members.
Employers and unions are expected to negotiate the terms of access, including the timing, location and arrangements for meetings and communications.
Where an agreement cannot be reached, the Central Arbitration Committee can determine whether access should be granted and establish the conditions under which it takes place.
The framework is intended to make it easier for unions to reach workers, particularly in private-sector organisations where representatives have traditionally had limited opportunities to communicate with employees on company premises.
Workers are not required to join or engage with a union, and the legislation protects them against being disadvantaged for exercising their trade union rights.
A further change is scheduled for 1 January 2027, when employers will be required to provide workers with a written statement informing them of their right to join a trade union.
More workplace access agreements expected
Google's agreement with Prospect follows the earlier arrangement involving Meta, suggesting that workplace union engagement could become more established in the technology sector.
The new framework may also affect employers in industries where union membership has traditionally been lower or where workers have had limited access to union representatives.
For HR teams, the changes mean workplace access requests will need to be considered as part of employee relations and compliance processes. Employers will need to understand their obligations, negotiate reasonable access arrangements and ensure that workers can exercise their rights without unnecessary barriers.
The agreements do not automatically establish collective bargaining relationships, but they create additional opportunities for unions to build relationships with employees across large private-sector organisations.
