The UK Government’s Employment Rights Bill is set to be the biggest overhaul of workplace protections in decades. The Bill aims to raise living standards, boost productivity, and provide greater job security for millions of workers. Here is what you need to know so far:
Key Reforms
The Bill will modernise UK employment law across multiple areas:
- Flexible Working: Employees will gain a right to request flexible working from day one, and employers must meet stricter tests before refusing.
- Sick Pay: Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) will be available from the first day of illness, removing the current three-day waiting period and the lower earnings limit.
- Parental Leave: Paternity and unpaid parental leave will become day-one rights, ending the need for months of service before eligibility.
- Unfair Dismissal: The two-year qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims will be reduced and eventually removed, giving all employees this protection from their first day.
- Zero-Hours Contracts: Workers on zero-hours or irregular contracts will gain the right to request guaranteed hours, curbing exploitative scheduling.
- “Fire and Rehire”: Employers will face new restrictions on dismissing and rehiring staff on worse terms, with many cases deemed automatically unfair.
- Harassment & NDAs: Employers will have a legal duty to prevent harassment, including by third parties, and will be banned from using NDAs to silence victims of misconduct.
- Trade Union Rights: The Bill reverses parts of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023, making industrial action rules less restrictive.
Impact
For workers: this Bill promises greater security, fairer treatment, and improved work-life balance. Those in insecure roles, such as retail, hospitality, or social care, stand to benefit most.
For employers: it means new compliance challenges: rewriting contracts, updating HR policies, and budgeting for higher employment costs. The CBI warns the reforms could “damage investment and hiring,” while unions call it a long-overdue rebalancing of workplace power.
Preparing for Change
Employers should begin auditing their workforce structures, reviewing zero-hours arrangements, and training managers on the forthcoming rights. Workers should stay informed via trusted sources like Acas and review how these changes could affect their contracts and benefits.
Breakfast Briefing for More Information
We are thrilled to be sponsoring a breakfast briefing by The Caterer tomorrow, which will give more information on The Employment Rights Bill for hospitality owners in the UK! Register here.
