Employment Rights Bill to boost rights for half of all UK workers
The UK Government has unveiled its roadmap for implementing the Employment Rights Bill, a cornerstone of its “Make Work Pay” agenda. This sweeping reform package aims to modernise employment law, improve job security, and raise workplace standards across the UK.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what’s changing – and when.
Key changes at a glance
The Bill introduces a range of new rights and protections for workers, including:
- Statutory Sick Pay for 1.3 million low-paid workers, removing the Lower Earnings Limit and waiting period.
- Day-one rights for paternity leave, unpaid parental leave, and protection from unfair dismissal.
- A ban on exploitative zero hours contracts and fire and rehire practices.
- Strengthened trade union rights, including simplified recognition processes and electronic balloting.
- New obligations on employers to prevent sexual harassment, including by third parties.
- Flexible working, bereavement leave, and protections for pregnant workers.
Timeline for implementation
The Government is taking a phased approach to ensure businesses have time to prepare.
July 2025
Bill receives Royal Assent. Immediate changes include repealing the Trade Union Act 2016 and protections for industrial action.
April 2026
- ‘Day 1’ paternity leave and unpaid parental leave
- Whistleblowing protections
- Fair Work Agency body established
- Statutory Sick Pay – remove the Lower Earnings Limit and waiting period
- Simplifying trade union recognition process
- Electronic and workplace balloting
October 2026
- Bringing forward regulations to establish the Fair Pay Agreement Adult Social Care Negotiating Body
- Fire and rehire
- Procurement – two-tier code
- Tightening tipping law
- Duty to inform workers of their right to join a trade union
- Strengthen trade unions’ right of access
- Requiring employers to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of their employees
- Introducing an obligation on employers not to permit the harassment of their employees by third parties
- New rights and protections for trade union reps
- Employment tribunal time limits
- Extending protections against detriments for taking industrial action
2027: the final phase
- Gender pay gap and menopause action plans (introduced on a voluntary basis in April 2026)
- Rights for pregnant workers
- ‘Day 1’ right – protection from unfair dismissal
- Introducing a power to enable regulations to specify steps that are to be regarded as “reasonable”, to determine whether an employer has taken all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment
- Blacklisting
- Industrial relations framework
- Regulation of umbrella companies
- Collective redundancy – collective consultation threshold
- Flexible working
- Bereavement leave
- Ending the exploitative use of ZHCs and applying ZHC measures to agency workers
This roadmap represents a significant step forward in the UK’s commitment to fair and equitable working conditions for all. By balancing the needs of workers and employers, the government aims to create a more stable and just employment landscape.
What employers should do now
- Stay informed: Consultations begin Summer 2025. We’ll will keep you updated, so make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter if you’re not already.
- Review policies: Start to consider the impact of the changes to leave entitlements, SSP, dismissal procedures, and union engagement.
- Seek support: Moorepay’s experts are here to guide you through every step of the transition.
