UK Employment Rights Bill – a summary
UK Employment Rights Bill (introduced 10 October 2024)
✅ Key aims
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Modernise and upgrade employment rights — the biggest reform package in decades.
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Improve job security, fairness and living standards for workers.
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Help employers and employees adapt to modern working patterns.
🔍 Main proposed reforms
1. Unfair dismissal
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Removes the current two-year qualifying period, unfair dismissal claims can be made from day one of employment.
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Employers may still use a probationary period (expected to be around nine months) where dismissals are easier to justify.
2. Zero-hours and agency workers
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Workers on zero-hours or very low-hours contracts will gain the right to request a contract reflecting their regular hours, based on a 12-week reference period.
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Applies to agency workers too, closing a previous loophole.
3. Shift and notice rights
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Workers will have a right to reasonable notice of shifts.
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They will also have a right to compensation if a shift is cancelled or changed at short notice.
4. Family-friendly rights
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Removes qualifying service periods for parental and paternity leave, making them available from day one.
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Expands bereavement leave rights to cover more types of loss.
5. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
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Abolishes the waiting period, meaning SSP is payable from the first day of sickness.
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Removes the lower earnings limit, extending eligibility to more workers.
6. Collective redundancies
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The current rule applies when 20 or more redundancies occur at one establishment.
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Under the Bill, this threshold will apply across the whole business, regardless of establishment.
7. “Fire and rehire”
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Strengthens protections against dismissing and re-engaging employees on worse terms.
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May classify certain “fire and rehire” practices as automatically unfair dismissals.
8. Enforcement and institutions
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Introduces stronger enforcement of employment rights such as sick pay, holiday pay, and underpayment claims.
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Establishes a clearer framework for compliance and penalties.
📅 Implementation
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Introduced in October 2024.
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Most provisions will require further consultation and secondary legislation before taking effect.
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Expected implementation of major changes from 2026 onwards, with some measures possibly delayed until 2027.
⚠️ Implications
For employers
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Significant need to review contracts, probation policies, sick pay and redundancy procedures.
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Likely to increase HR administration and potential tribunal exposure.
For employees
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Stronger rights and earlier access to protections.
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Greater predictability for working hours and job security.
🧾 Summary table
Area | Current law | Proposed change under Bill |
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Unfair dismissal | 2 yrs service required | Day-one right |
Zero-hours contracts | No guaranteed hours | Right to match regular working pattern |
Shift notice rights | Often unregulated | Right to notice and compensation for cancellations |
Statutory sick pay | Waiting period + earnings limit | Payable from day one, no earnings threshold |
Parental/paternity leave | Qualifying period required | Day-one entitlement |
Collective redundancies | 20+ at one establishment | 20+ across whole business |
Fire & rehire | Permitted in some cases | Tighter restrictions, potential automatic unfair dismissal |
Flexible working | Request right with qualifying period | Default expectation of flexibility |