14 Jul Employment Rights Bill: Where Are We Now?
Here’s a simple table of the key proposed reforms and the new implementation information released this month.
As the Bill progresses through parliament (and is subject to changes with regulations to follow) the government have issued a roadmap setting out their ‘phased approach’ to implementation of the changes.
We are planning a detailed webinar on all of this to help you plan in October 2025 if you’re interested in booking a slot just email us here enquiries@bridgeehr.co.uk
| What is the proposed change? | When will it apply? |
|---|---|
| Fire and re-hire Restricting the use of fire and re-hire (to amend terms) to only very narrow circumstances, i.e., when a business has no alternative and must do so to remain viable. Together with a stronger code of practice on this issue. | October 2026 |
| Sexual harassment • Requiring all employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment. • A duty to prevent sexual harassment of employees by third parties. | October 2026 |
| Employment Tribunal time limits Increasing them from three to six months. | October 2026 |
| Strengthening Trade Unions Rights – Strengthen trade unions’ right of access, including providing for digital access. – Simplifying trade union recognition process. – New rights and protections for trade union representatives. – A duty for employers to inform workers of their right to join a trade union. – Broaden the scope of blacklisting protections which may be made in regulations. – Simplify the information required for industrial action notices. – Provide protection from detriment on the grounds of industrial action. | October 2026 |
| Collective redundancy Doubling the minimum time limit for starting collective consultation before the first dismissal takes place, from 45 days to 90 days – when proposing to dismiss 100 or more employees. Increasing the protective award for failure to follow the collective consultation process. Amendment affecting the application of the present law ‘at one establishment’ – adding a wider definition/threshold for triggering the 20-employee minimum. | From April 2026 |
| Flexible working Requiring any refusal to be ‘reasonable’, making it more tricky to refuse. | From April 2026 |
| Day 1 Paternity Leave and Unpaid Parental Leave – Employee may use their parental leave from day 1 – Also, day 1 right to paternity leave of two weeks – Retention of paternity leave if shared parental leave is taken | From April 2026 |
| Whistleblowing Protections Categorisation of sexual harassment allegations as public interest disclosures. | From April 2026 |
| Statutory sick pay Removal of lower earnings limit and waiting periods – to claim statutory sick pay. | From April 2026 |
| Gender Pay Gap and Menopause Action Plans For larger employers with 250 or more staff. | In 2027 |
| Rights for pregnant workers ‘Banning’ dismissal of employees who are pregnant or upon returning from family leave. | In 2027 |
| Sexual harassment (further regulations) New Regulations to specify steps that are to be regarded as “reasonable” in order to establish an employer has taken all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment. | In 2027 |
| Restricting use of zero hours contracts Ending exploitative use of zero hours contracts and applying zero hours measures to agency workers. Obligation to provide notice of changes to hours and to offer guaranteed hours in certain circumstances. | In 2027 |
| Day 1 rights to protection from unfair dismissal Kicked into the long grass for now! | In 2027 |
| Single worker status Again, put back indefinitely for now. | No in the Bill |
| Restrictions on use of NDAs in discrimination / sexual harassment cases Added to the Bill, no clear time scale yet. | No time scale specified |
