Employment Rights Bill Passes Final Parliamentary Stage in House of Lords
The Employment Rights Bill has passed its final parliamentary hurdle in the House of Lords after Conservative peer Lord Sharpe withdrew an amendment.
The bill applies to England, Scotland, and Wales, but not Northern Ireland. Most measures within the bill require secondary legislation before they can come into force.
Key provisions include granting workers sick pay and paternity leave from day one of employment and strengthening protections for pregnant women and new mothers. However, the government retains a six-month qualifying period for unfair dismissal, with Labour having backed down from advocating for day-one rights.
Royal assent is expected this week, with the government describing this as the biggest upgrade to workers' rights in a generation.
Unions Unite and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) welcomed the bill's passage and urged for rapid and undiluted implementation.
Conservative members argued that the bill would increase costs for small businesses and potentially hinder hiring, noting that unemployment rose to 5.1% in the three months to October.
Business organisations such as the British Chambers of Commerce and the Federation of Small Businesses expressed concerns about some of the proposed changes but supported maintaining the six-month unfair dismissal threshold.
