Employment Rights Bill – Amendments Tabled

The Employment Rights Bill is to be a major piece of employment legislation, all part of Labour’s commitment to “Make Work Pay”. It was published in October 2024, and you can find our earlier article on the proposed changes (not due to come in before at least Autumn 2026) here.

The Government has tabled a number of amendments to the Employment Rights Bill following various consultations that were launched last October. These amendments are to be considered at the House of Commons report stage as the Bill makes its way through the various stages. They include:

• amendments to set out the framework for agency workers regarding zero hours contracts. The obligation to offer guaranteed hours for qualifying workers will sit with the end user (save for certain circumstances), though both the end user and agency will be responsible for providing an agency worker with reasonable notice of shifts, changes and cancellations.
• an increase in the maximum period of the protective award for failing to adhere to collective consultation requirements from 90 to 180 days – this is a very significant change and is intended to strengthen the collective redundancy framework.
• reinstating the “one establishment” concept for collective redundancy purposes.
• a number of amendments concerning trade unions and industrial relations, including simplifying the current information requirements for industrial action ballots and notices and extending the expiry of a trade union’s mandate for industrial action from six to 12 months.
• confirming that in relation to statutory sick pay, whilst this will apply to all workers by removing the lower earnings limit, there will be a provision for workers to earn either 80% of their average weekly earnings or the current rate of SSP, whichever is lower.

We will continue to keep you updated on the Bill as it progresses.

Contact our employment law solicitors today

We will keep you updated as things progress within the new government. If you have any questions regarding any of the issues raised in this article, please do not hesitate to contact our specialist Employment Law team by using our online enquiry form or by calling 0330 191 5713.