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The Employment Rights Bill: What's the fuss about?
Updated 18 December 2025
The much needed day 1 Rights of Unfair dismissal has been removed and replaced with rights from 6 months. Although not entirely unexpected, it remains a huge set back for workers. There is no doubt though, that this is a great leap forward in workers rights, and now that it has passed through The House of Lords, it will receive Royal Assent before Christmas. To read the Full List of improvements follow the link.
Labour's conference time in September 2024 was a frenzy of statements and releases, all pushing the benefits for worker's of the 'New Deal' that Labour are going to implement. This 'New Deal' it must be said is a watered down version of the policy that Jeremy Corbyn was going to implement, nonetheless, it is much anticipated and needed, to return workers rights to what they were prior to their erosion as far back as Thatcher's government.
The process to legislation continues, with the Lords approval on 21 July 2025, the House of Lords held the third sitting of the Report Stage of the Employment Rights Bill. More on this can be read at this link: Employment Rights Bill: Lords Report Stage Highlights
How will the change affect you? As most of the major changes do not happen until 2026, you will not see much change, certainly if you are already in work, and have been for some time.
This resource will be updated as progress is made, so please check back.
The Institute of Employment Rights; which every Trade Union Branch should affiliate to, has offered a close perspective on Labour's employment reforms. Click the underlined link to go to the IER webpage and find out more, subscribe and affiliate.
The following links give access to various articles where you can find out more.
Institute of Employment Rights: Briefing note: This briefing was issued on the 4th October and issues a warning that Trade Unions need to stand firm with their demands and see promises through. Take me to the Briefing note.
The New Deal for workers: Does it do what it says on the tin? Read the article published on 18th October; The New Deal for Workers – a focus on ‘rights’ but what about power? by those who should know; Prof Keith Ewing and Lord John Hendy KC. Both are well respected authors and policy advisors in the field of employment law.
Take me to the Report
IER Additional links:
1.Labour’s plan to make work pay:
Professor Keith Ewing and Lord John Hendy KC examine the new deal for workers outlined in the King’s Speech and what should follow it. Published 19th July 2024.
Read it here.
2. A new ‘single status of worker’ definition must be an essential part of Labour’s plan: Published 9th September 2024
Read it here.
3. The Long Slow Death of Labour’s Plans for Sectoral Collective Bargaining? Published 10th September 2024.
Read it here.
4. Tracing the path to a New Deal for Working People: Published 10 September 2024
The 'roots' the policy are traced back to the 2021 Green paper 'A Deal for working people'.
Read it here.
5. Industrial Action And Labour’s New Deal: Published 11th September 2024
Read it here.
6. Trade-union recognition, the Amazon case, and a New Deal: Published 9th October 2024
Read it here.
7. The new Employment Bill: what it could mean for your everyday rights. A very informative blog from Just Fair which explains how it offers the opportunity to take a step forward in protecting employment rights and improve economic, social and cultural rights.
Read it here.
Institute of Employment Rights: A New Deal and A New Government pamphlet. Written by Prof Keith Ewing, Lord John Hendy KC and Prof Nicola Kountouris.
This briefing was issued in September 2024. Click the underlined link for access.
Employment Rights podcasts A series of six podcasts, the ones so far are all very informative. All six will be accessible from this link once they are published.
Listen here
Unison
Unison have lobbied the Labour Party for years on improving employment rights. Now that we have a labour Government, those multi millions pounds that the union has spent on supporting elections needs to see some payback. Unison's viewpoint on the Employment Rights changes can be accessed via the National website. There are also some useful links to the briefing and the Hansard report of MP's who spoke on the Bill: Read it here.
Acas
Acas has recently welcomed (24/07/2025) the launch of the government's ER Bill roadmap. View the summary of the timings here. Acas has also produced a webinar which reviews the Bill and explains important key points and law changes. You will have to give name and email address to Access the webinar.
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