Employment Rights Bill: Roadmap to Implementation

The roadmap provides valuable structure and clarity, but much of the final detail will depend on the outcome of upcoming consultations and the framing of secondary legislation. For now, it offers employers a helpful window into what is coming and when.

Perhaps most notably, the “day one” right to protection from unfair dismissal will not come into force until 2027. This will be a relief to many employers navigating volatile economic conditions.

However, businesses planning redundancies or restructures should prepare for earlier changes.

Particularly as:

• from April 2026, the protective award for failure to consult collectively will double;
• the ban on fire and rehire (October 2026) will restrict flexibility on contractual changes; and
• although new thresholds for triggering collective redundancy consultation won’t take effect until 2027, the window to act under the current regime is narrowing.

The timeline also confirms that 2025 will bring minimal legislative change, giving most employers breathing space. However, sectors exposed to industrial action should note that trade union-related reforms are being brought forward.

These include repeals of restrictive strike legislation and new protections for those taking industrial action, likely shifting the power dynamic in workplace disputes. Employers in these sectors should review their industrial relations strategies now.

Update - 16 July 2025 (pre-Royal Assent position)

This update reflects the position before the Bill received Royal Assent. The final position is now set out in the Employment Rights Act 2025.

The House of Lords has voted for an amendment to the Bill that would replace the "day one" unfair dismissal rights with a six month qualifying period.

The Bill will need to go back to the House of Commons for consideration and so the final decision has not been made.

However, if this amendment stays it will mean that employees will ordinarily need to be in employment for six months before they are able to bring an unfair dismissal claim.

We will release further updates as matters progress. In the meantime, you can access the roadmap in full here.