On 15 September 2025, MPs in the House of Commons considered amendments made to the Employment Rights Bill during the report stage in the House of Lords before Parliament’s summer recess.
Deciding to reject all non-governmental amendments made in the Lords, MPs have confirmed that the Bill will move forward with provisions making unfair dismissal protections a day-one right.
Other changes that will now not be made to the Bill include altering the requirement for employers to offer a guaranteed hours contract to zero-hour, low hour and agency workers to a right for workers to request one.
It has also been made clear that the extension of the right to bereavement leave covering miscarriages in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy will be included in the Bill and a ban on NDAs in harassment and discrimination situations will also be introduced.
What laws will the Employment Rights Bill change?
Now, the Bill returns to the House of Lords where it will decide whether to accept the Bill as it currently stands or challenge the changes. If that happens, it could result in a back and forth between the House of Parliament. With this being a flagship Government Bill, it is unlikely these changes will be successfully challenged.
Other news on the Bill
- The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to consult on the Bill’s key measures with 13 individual consultations set to run in the coming months.
- To implement the measures in the Bill, it’s been identified that around 80 separate pieces of legislation will be required.
- Regarding statutory probationary periods (referred to as the “initial period of employment” in the Bill), during which the rules on unfair dismissal will be relaxed in cases that do not involve redundancy, the Government’s preference is that they will last for up to nine months, allowing for a six-month probation period with an optional extension to nine months
What's the process to dismiss someone in their probation period?
