Employment Rights Act 2025 – An Act to extend employee’s rights in to 21st Century

This Act is a cornerstone of the Government’s plans to Make Work Pay.  What will the Act contain and when will those provisions come into force?

The provisions in force at present include:-

1. Protection against the dismissal for taking industrial action;
2. Removal of a qualifying period of employment for taking parental leave and paternity leave;
3. An increase in the protective award for failing to comply with the consultation requirements for collective redundancy.

The provisions to come into force over the next 18 months are the following:-

1. A duty for employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their employees;
2. An increase in the time limits an employee can bring a claim in the Employment Tribunal to 6 months from the date of termination of employment;
3. A reduction in the qualifying period to 6 months of employment to bring any employment claim; and the award an Employment Tribunal can make will be increased to an unlimited amount for the compensatory award;
4. There will be a protection against dismissal for failing to agree to a variation of terms of employment;
5. Zero hour contracts will be offered guaranteed hours of work and the right to receive reasonable notice of shifts or cancellations of shifts and for there to be payment of short notice cancellations;
6. There will be regulations of umbrella companies.

If you require advice on the implementation of these changes to your employment, please contact Julian Cole on jcole@bsandi.co.uk or call on 01264 353411.