In a significant address yesterday (16th July), the King’s Speech outlined the government’s commitment to introducing sweeping reforms in employment law, confirming that a new Employment Rights Bill will be brought forward to enhance workers’ rights across the nation.

Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour government, pledged to “Level up workers’ rights, so every person has security, respect and dignity at work. We will create a new industrial strategy and invest in cleaner, cheaper British energy; and we will harness the power of artificial intelligence as we look to strengthen safety frameworks.”

Kate Palmer, Employment Services Director at Peninsula, emphasised the far-reaching implications of the proposed legislation. “While we await the details, it is evident that the new Employment Rights Bill will have a significant impact on all employers once enacted,” she noted.

What are the key provisions of the forthcoming Bill?

  • Banning Exploitative Zero-Hour Contracts: Ensuring fairer and more predictable work schedules.
  • Immediate Entitlements: Providing parental leave, sick pay, and protection from unfair dismissal from day one for all workers.
  • Trade Union Legislation Reform: Following the recent GMB union’s unsuccessful vote for union recognition among Amazon workers, this aspect of the Bill will be closely watched.
  • Minimum Wage Transformation: Abolishing current age bands to ensure fair wages across all age groups.
  • Race Equality Legislation: Introducing new measures to promote racial equality in the workplace.

As the new government prioritises these employment rights and protections, the specifics of these Bills will be keenly anticipated when they are presented to Parliament for debate. This landmark speech signals a period of substantial change for businesses and workers alike.

Amelia Brand

Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.