The government’s recently unveiled plans indicate that workers will not be entitled to protection from unfair dismissal from their first day of employment for another two years.
According to the timeline outlined in the newly published Employment Rights Bill, the government’s pledged ban on “exploitative” zero-hour contracts and the implementation of new measures aimed at enhancing access to flexible working arrangements are also slated to take two years to materialize.
This marks the first instance of the government establishing a concrete timeline for the enactment of the various provisions encompassed within the Bill.
While the government asserts that this timeline provides firms with “clarity and certainty,” a prominent business group has cautioned that it could trigger a “wave of disruptive changes.”
The Bill is currently undergoing scrutiny in the House of Lords and is not anticipated to receive Royal Assent until the autumn.
The government has stated that upon the Bill’s enactment into law, it will repeal the Strikes Act of 2023 and the majority of the Trade Union Act of 2016, with the aim of fostering what it describes as a “better relationship with unions.”
Other provisions are scheduled to take effect next year. Starting in April, new whistleblowing protections, day-one paternity leave entitlements, and unpaid parental leave rights will be implemented.
The promised Fair Work Agency will also be established, alongside revisions to sick pay regulations and trade union measures, including streamlining the trade union recognition process.
From October of the following year, the government has indicated that measures to be implemented will include ending “unscrupulous” fire and rehire practices, as well as adjustments to the tipping law to ensure a more equitable distribution of gratuities.
However, some of the most contentious provisions, which have encountered significant opposition from business groups, are not slated to take effect until 2027.
These include measures aimed at prohibiting exploitative zero-hour contracts, providing “day-one” protections against unfair dismissal, and improving accessibility to flexible working arrangements.
These measures will be subject to further consultation, and the specific details of their implementation remain unclear.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds stated that the roadmap for these measures provides businesses with the “clarity and certainty they need to plan, invest, and grow.”
“By phasing implementation, our collaborative approach balances meaningful worker protections with the practical realities of running a successful business, creating more productive workplaces where both employees and employers can thrive,” he added.
TUC General Secretary Paul Novak characterized the changes as “long overdue” and emphasized the need to implement the new rights “as soon as possible.”
However, Tina McKenzie, Policy Chair at the Federation of Small Businesses, cautioned that the timetable “sets out when waves of disruptive changes will now hit small employers in the coming months.”
“Without listening to proposals from business to improve these reforms, the changes simply add complexity and risk to new hiring and existing employment.”