15 Oct 2024

Government Unveils Employment Rights Bill

Introduced on 10 October 2024, the UK government's Employment Rights Bill is described as the "biggest upgrade to rights at work for a generation" and contains 28 reforms, which bring significant changes to employment law, focusing on the protection of workers whilst aiming to provide more security and flexibility for employees.

Of those reforms, here are some of the most standout:

'Day-one' protections: Giving workers the right to statutory sick pay, paternal leave, and bereavement leave from the first day of their job. The two-year wait period to claim against unfair dismissal has also been removed.
Zero-hour contracts: Although these have not been banned entirely, employees are now entitled to guaranteed hours if they have regularly exceeded their contracted hours.
Flexible working: This is will become the default, and employees are entitled to request flexibility from their first day of employment. Any refusals by their employer must be justified in writing and proven to be reasonable.

Whilst the bill offers many upgrades to employee welfare, the government have confirmed that further details will be provided through regulations and codes of practice, whilst the implementation will be gradual. Many of the significant changes are expected to take effect no sooner than 2026, specifically key reforms, ongoing consultations, and trade union rights, which is anticipated to roll out in the summer of 2025 once the bill receives Royal Assent.

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