The Labour Government's Employment Rights Bill aims to deliver the "biggest upgrade in employment rights for a generation". We unpack all the details.
By focusing on raising the baseline for workers' rights, the bill seeks to offer British workers improved stability, fair pay, and protections. This aims to make it easier for employees to balance work with life demands while giving responsible businesses the support they need to thrive.
At its core, the Employment Rights Bill targets four critical areas: addressing one-sided flexibility in employment, supporting family-friendly policies, fostering workplace fairness, and modernising trade union rights.
Through these provisions, the bill aims to foster long-term, inclusive economic growth, create a more equitable work environment and help raise living standards nationwide.
The Employment Rights Bill outlines 28 reforms to employment legislation. Here are the key areas the Bill addresses:
Some key elements from Labour's pre-election "Make Work Pay" plan are missing from the Employment Rights Bill 2024. Notably, the "right to switch off"—which would prevent employers from contacting staff outside of work hours—has been postponed.
The proposal to establish a "single status of worker" is also absent. This measure was intended to enhance protections for self-employed individuals who mainly work for one employer but currently lack certain employee rights. These exclusions are due to legal complexities, which will require further review.
The Labour government introduced the Employment Rights Bill in October, fulfilling its manifesto pledge to deliver a "New Deal for Working People" across England, Wales, and Scotland (excluding Northern Ireland, which has a separate employment law system).
Introduced within Labour’s first 100 days in office, the bill aims to modernise and enhance worker protections. According to Jack Kellam of the Autonomy Institute, this bill has generated significant interest as it reflects Labour’s commitment to their pre-election promises to improve worker rights.
Given the UK’s historically poor record on these issues, the Employment Rights Bill represents an upgrade for workers’ protections and is seen as a substantial step toward fairer workplace standards.
The bill was introduced to Parliament on October 10, 2024, and will proceed through a series of consultations with key stakeholders. The Labour Government has committed to phased implementation, with consultations extending into 2025 and expected roll-out no earlier than 2026.
This gradual timeline will provide businesses with adequate time to adapt and prepare, minimising disruption and ensuring a smooth transition to a fairer work environment.
We’ve created a comprehensive Equality & Diversity roadmap to help you navigate the compliance landscape, supported by e-learning in our Essentials Library.
We also have 100+ free compliance training aids, including assessments, best practice guides, checklists, desk aids, eBooks, games, posters, training presentations and even e-learning modules!
Finally, the SkillcastConnect community provides a unique opportunity to network with other compliance professionals in a vendor-free environment, priority access to our free online learning portal and other exclusive benefits.