The government’s Employment Rights Bill has passed another milestone in parliament, with ministers claiming the legislation will deliver the biggest improvement to workplace protections in a generation.
The bill was debated in the House of Commons on Monday, with MPs voting to press ahead with plans to ban exploitative zero-hours contracts, introduce day-one protection from unfair dismissal and extend statutory sick pay to more than a million of the lowest earners.
According to the Department for Business and Trade, the reforms are expected to benefit up to 15 million people across the UK, addressing longstanding concerns over insecure work, low pay and poor working conditions. Ministers have committed to overturning changes introduced by the House of Lords, which would have weakened several core elements of the legislation, including the new protections from unfair dismissal and the extension of zero-hours contract rights.
The government said the bill was designed to allow people to earn more and improve living standards, forming a key part of its wider economic agenda. The legislation also introduces day-one rights to parental and bereavement leave, alongside measures to end so-called fire-and-rehire practices.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the bill as “the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation”.
“Our Employment Rights Bill is good for workers, good for businesses and good for the economy. It’s a core part of our agenda to make people better off and will make a real difference to people’s lives.”
Peter Kyle, the secretary of state for business and trade, said, “We are relentlessly focused on making people feel better off and putting more money into their pockets. Giving workers more security in the workplace is good for the economy.
“It promotes prosperity, enabling people to be more active consumers and exercise more control over their lives. Businesses have been consulted every step of the way and will continue to be. We are focused on building an economy with a new social partnership – workers, businesses and government fixing the foundations and that starts with security at work.”
Poll finds strong backing for reforms
The latest parliamentary stage comes as new polling by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the national federation representing UK trade unions, and Hope Not Hate, a campaign group focused on tackling extremism and promoting economic fairness, shows widespread support for the bill’s central proposals.
A survey of 45,000 people found that more than seven in 10 backed protection from unfair dismissal from the first day in a job, while nearly four in five approved of new rules requiring employers to offer fixed-hours contracts to zero-hours staff after 12 weeks. Support was strong across the political spectrum and social groups, with particularly high approval among women on low incomes who support Reform UK.
Despite this, only about one in four respondents said they were aware of the planned reforms before being surveyed, prompting unions to urge the government to promote the changes more widely.
Unions warn against dilution
Union leaders are pressing ministers to “own” the reforms and ensure that the detail of secondary legislation delivers on the government’s promises. TUC secretary general Paul Nowak met MPs to present the survey’s findings and said the government must resist any attempts to weaken the bill as it passes through its final stages.
“These reforms cannot be allowed to stall. Banning zero-hours contracts, ending fire-and-rehire, and day-one protection from unfair dismissal aren’t just the right things to do – they’re overwhelmingly popular across the political spectrum. The government has a powerful story to tell with this bill – one that can resonate across its electoral coalition. Now it must go out and own this agenda.”
Nick Lowles, chief executive of Hope Not Hate, said the focus of public concern had shifted towards economic insecurity.
“People are angry for good reason. They’re working harder than ever and getting less and less back. They want a government that’s willing to stand up to vested interests and fix an economy they feel is rigged against them. Strengthening workers’ rights can help rebuild trust. But only if it’s front and centre – not an afterthought. The government needs to make the populist case for making work pay.”
Unions have also called for close scrutiny of secondary legislation, including rules on compensation for cancelled shifts and the practical details of new protections, to ensure there are no loopholes for employers to exploit.
With the bill now having cleared another Commons hurdle, attention will turn to the final stages of the legislative process and to how the government delivers on its pledge to improve security, pay and conditions for millions of workers.
