What This Week’s Employment Rights Bill Delays Mean for Employers
The Parliamentary “ping-pong” over the Employment Rights Bill has continued this week, with several key elements of the legislation once again returned to the House of Commons following further scrutiny by the House of Lords.
The back-and-forth between the two Houses has been ongoing since October, and concerns are rising that the political stalemate could delay the Bill’s progress toward Royal Assent and eventual implementation.
One of the most significant areas of disagreement remains unfair dismissal rights. While the Government is pushing for employees to gain unfair dismissal protection from day one, the Lords continue to argue for a six-month qualifying period.
On guaranteed hours, the Lords favour giving workers the ability to opt out of receiving guaranteed-hours offers altogether, and they have also raised objections to the current approach for how regulations in this area would be set by the Secretary of State.
There are also continued points of contention relating to trade union regulations. The Lords oppose proposals for union members to be automatically opted into a union’s political fund. In addition, they disagree with the Government’s intention to remove the requirement for at least a 50% turnout in ballots relating to industrial action.
During this week’s debate, Liberal Democrat peer Lord Fox noted the repeated return of unresolved issues, commenting that peers were experiencing a sense of déjà vu as the same concerns raised in late October remain unaddressed. He added that recent discussions with ministers had not brought forward any meaningful compromise or new proposals to break the deadlock.
As the Bill continues its journey through Parliament, employers and HR teams should be aware that timelines for final approval, and therefore implementation, remain uncertain. We will continue to monitor developments and provide further updates as the situation evolves.
If your organisation needs support navigating upcoming legislative changes or planning for future workforce needs, our team at Cubed Talent can help.
Get in touch to discuss how we can support your workforce planning and ensure your business is prepared for what’s ahead.
