The Employment Rights Bill – what now for businesses?

Get a concise recap of key labour law changes, confirmed provisions, and preparation roadmap.

A year has passed since the UK Government introduced the Employment Rights Bill to Parliament, promising the biggest shake-up of labour law in decades. With the bill now nearing Royal Assent, a lot has happened in the last 12 months.

Last year we hosted our ‘The Employment Rights Bill: what do employers need to know?’ webinar to discuss the dozens policies of the Bill, including:

• The removal of qualifying periods for key employment rights, including protection against unfair dismissal and paternity leave
• A ban on ‘exploitative’ zero hours contracts
• Steps to make flexible working the default
• A ‘ban’ on fire and rehire
• Widened eligibility for Statutory Sick Pay
• Changes designed to make it easier for trade unions to gain access to workplaces, secure statutory recognition, and take industrial action.

With some measures due to take effect as soon as the bill receives Royal Assent and the rest being phased in from April 2026, business leaders need to start preparing for implementation.

Join Alex Hall-Chen (IoD Principal Policy Advisor for Employment), Jim Wright CDir (Employment Law Partner, Knights) and Ellie Jobes CDir FCIPD (HR Director, Bagnalls) for this timely lunchtime webinar where they’ll discuss the latest updates on the Bill and what it means for employers.