Employment Rights Bill Timeline
The Employment Rights Bill is seen as the biggest shake up in employment legislation in a generation.
The Government has already begun consulting on these reforms, but they are unlikely to take effect earlier than 2026. You should start now to ensure you have sufficient time to consider the options available and put them in practice.
Our Employment Team have set out all of the latest developments for you, so you can keep on top of the Bill and how it progresses over time.
10 October 2024 - The Bill is presented to the House of Commons
The Bill is presented to the House of Commons and has its first reading. The Government publishes ‘Next Steps to Make Work Pay’ setting out how it will deliver its plan to make work pay.
Recent Articles
- Government Provides Outline for Employment Law Reforms
- The Government has Today Published the Promised Employment Rights Bill
- Employment Rights Bill Introduces Stronger Laws Against Harassment - Including Third Parties
- Employment Rights Bill - New Rules to Outlaw Fire and Rehire Practices
- Employment Rights Bill - Paternity, Parental and Bereavement Leave
21 October 2024 - The Bill has its second reading in the House of Commons
21 October 2024 - The Government publishes 4 consultations on the Bill
The Government publishes 4 consultations on the Bill dealing with industrial relations, collective redundancy and fire and rehire, zero hours contracts and agency workers and statutory sick pay.
27 November 2024 - An amendment paper is published
An amendment paper is published, listing all amendments tabled to the Bill. The most important one would extend the time limit for bringing tribunal claims from 3 to 6 months.
Recent Articles
2 December 2024 - The Department for Business & Trade is consulting on:
- Modernising the legislative framework that underpins trade unions
- Strengthening remedies against abuse of rules on collective redundancy and fire and rehire (i.e. introducing interim relief claims in protective award and fire and rehire cases).
- The application of the zero hours contracts measures in the Bill to agency workers
4 December 2024 - The Department for Work and Pensions consult on Statutory Sick Pay
The Department for Work and Pensions is consulting on making changes to Statutory Sick Pay.
16 January 2025 - Commons Committee Stage completes
Commons Committee Stage completes and the Committee approves all of the Government’s amendments.
Recent Articles
4 March 2025 - The Government publishes its responses to the 4 consultations on the Bill
The Government publishes its responses to the 4 consultations on the Bill that closed in December 2024.
Recent Articles
4 & 5 March 2025 - The Government publishes a large number of amendments to the Bill
The Government publishes a large number of amendments to the Bill for consideration at the report stage.
Recent Articles
11 & 12 March 2025 - Commons report stage
Commons report stage and third reading of the Bill.
11 & 12 March 2025 - Commons report stage
Commons report stage and third reading of the Bill.
Summer 2025 - The Bill is expected to be given Royal Assent
The Bill is expected to be given Royal Assent and to become the Employment Rights Act 2025.
Summer/Autumn 2025 - Some of the changes relating to trade union law reform are due to come into force
Some of the changes relating to trade union law reform are due to come into force two months after the Bill is passed. The most important is the notice to employers of industrial action, which is being reduced from 14 to 7 days.
Not before 2026 - The Act is expected to come into force
Most of the Act is expected to come into force.
Not before Autumn 2026 - Abolition of the qualifying period to claim unfair dismissal
The abolition of the qualifying period to claim unfair dismissal is expected to come into force.
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