The Employment Rights Bill promises greater fairness and security at work, with a particular focus on strengthening workers’ voices.
The Government has now published its Implementation Roadmap, providing clarity on the timeline for ongoing consultation and the anticipated commencement of the Bill’s provisions.
Notably, changes concerning zero-hour contract and ‘day 1’ unfair dismissal rights are now expected in 2027, later than we initially expected.
Here is a summary of plans for the road ahead:
Immediate (at or soon after Royal Assent)
- Repeal of Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023, along with the majority of the Trade Union Act 2023
- Changes to trade union rights, including new protections against dismissal for taking industrial action
April 2026
- Doubling the maximum period for the collective redundancy protection award
- ‘Day 1’ Paternity Leave and Unpaid Parental Leave
- Whistleblowing protections
- Fair Work Agency body established
- Removing Lower Earnings limit and waiting period for Statutory Sick Pay
- Simplifying trade union recognition process
- Electronic and workplace balloting systems
October 2026
- Ban on fire and rehire
- Launch of a Fair Pay Agreement Adult Social Care Negotiating Body
- Two-tier code for procurement
- Tightening tipping law
- New trade union rights and protections for workers and reps
- Employer duty to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment, including by third parties
- Employment tribunal time limits
2027
- Gender pay gap and menopause action plans (introduced voluntarily from April 2026)
- Rights for pregnant workers
- Blacklisting
- Industrial relations framework
- Regulation of umbrella companies
- Collective consultation threshold changes for collective redundancy
- Flexible working
- Bereavement leave
- Protections against zero-hour contract abuse
- ‘Day 1’ right – protection from unfair dismissal.
Our support
We can support you as the Government continue to consult on and begin to implement these changes – in particular, how it will impact you and your team.
If you have any questions about how these changes may impact your business or need guidance on preparing for the new regulations, get in touch with Emma Rowley at EmmaRowley@schofieldsweeney.co.uk