The Employment Rights Bill (ERB) represents one of the biggest reforms to UK employment law in decades. Introduced in October 2024 as part of the Government’s “New Deal for Working People”, it aims to create a fairer, more transparent workplace environment while placing new responsibilities on employers.
The Bill introduces day-one employment rights, expands family leave and sick pay entitlements, enhances protection for insecure workers, and strengthens trade union recognition. It also introduces a statutory duty on employers to prevent workplace harassment and limits the use of “fire and rehire” practices.
What’s happened so far
- October 2024 – Bill introduced to Parliament and given its first reading
- Early 2025 – Committee stages and debates began in the House of Lords
- July 2025 – Government published its official Implementation Roadmap
- Autumn 2025 – Consultations are expected on complex areas such as unfair dismissal and zero-hours reforms
What to expect next
Royal Assent is anticipated in November 2025, with initial changes taking effect from April 2026, including:
- Day-one rights to parental and paternity leave
- Reformed statutory sick pay rules
- New employer duties to prevent sexual harassment
Further reforms will follow through late 2026 and 2027, including predictable-hours contracts, tighter redundancy consultation thresholds, and shorter qualifying periods for unfair dismissal claims.
Key areas of reform
Headline measures include:
- Increasing standard time limit for most employment tribunal claims from 3 months to 6 months
- Reducing or removing the two-year qualifying period for unfair dismissal subject to an initial period (akin to the probation period) which will be vital to get right to dismiss fairly.
- Introducing predictable-hours rights for zero-hours and agency workers
- Expanding family leave and sick pay to day-one entitlements
- Banning exploitative “fire and rehire” practices
- Strengthening trade union recognition and introducing digital voting
- Establishing a new Fair Work Agency to oversee compliance
These changes will require most employers to review contracts, policies and procedures well before implementation.
Our Employment Rights Bill insight series
Over the coming months, we’ll be publishing a series of articles exploring each reform in detail and outlining what employers should do to prepare.
Our upcoming topics include:
- Zero-Hours Contracts: From Flexibility to Fairness
- Collective Redundancy: Understanding the New Consultation Thresholds
- The Rise of the Fair Work Agency: What It Means for Employer Oversight
- Flexible Working Requests: Strengthened Rights and Employer Responsibilities
- Sexual Harassment Prevention: Meeting the New Duty of Care
- Employment Contracts and Handbooks: What Needs Updating Before 2026
- Managing Performance in a Post-Bill Landscape
- Trade Union Access: Preparing for the Digital Workplace Shift
- What the Employment Rights Bill Means for Casual Labour in Hospitality and Retail
- Contractors and the ERB: Navigating the Grey Areas
Each article will provide practical guidance and actionable steps to support employer compliance.
Preparing now
Although further consultations will shape the detail, the direction is clear. Employers should begin reviewing:
- Dismissal and disciplinary procedures
- Flexible working and family leave policies
- Sick pay arrangements
- Equality and harassment prevention training
Taking proactive steps now will help reduce risk and ensure a smoother transition once the new rules come into force.
Stay informed
We’ll continue to track the Bill’s progress and publish timely updates as more information becomes available. Follow our Employment Rights Bill Insight Series on our website and LinkedIn to stay ahead of these upcoming changes.
How RIAA Barker Gillette can help
Our Employment team advises businesses on all aspects of workplace compliance, from discrimination and policy drafting to training and dispute resolution.
If your organisation would like to review its policies or prepare for the Employment Rights Bill, please contact our Employment team to discuss how we can help.
About the author
Karen Cole is a Partner and Head of the Employment team at RIAA Barker Gillette. She has a range of expertise based on her employment law, dispute resolution, and litigation background. Karen provides employment law advice to businesses and individuals, whether contentious or not. She is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association (ELA) and the Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers (ARDL).