Timetable for public consultations announced
Many of the reforms set out in the Employment Rights Bill will require either further legislation or the development of new/existing Codes of Practice. As such, a key stage in the implementation process is to consult on the detail of policy and implementation for the changes proposed. In the Government’s recently published roadmap to change, they confirmed the following consultations:
Summer/Autumn 2025 consultations:
- Reinstating the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB)
- Fair Pay Agreement for the Adult Social Care sector
- Giving employees protection from unfair dismissal from ‘day 1’ including on the dismissal process in the statutory probation period
Autumn 2025:
- Trade Union measures:
- Electronic and workplace balloting
- simplifying the trade union recognition process
- duty to inform workers of their right to join a trade union and right of access
- New rights and protections for trade union representatives will be covered by an Acas Code of Practice consultation
- Fire and rehire
- Regulation of umbrella companies
- Bereavement leave
- Rights for pregnant workers
- Ending exploitative zero-hour contracts
Winter/early 2026:
- Trade union measures:
- Protection against determinants for taking industrial action
- Strengthening the rules on blacklisting
- Tightening tipping law
- Collective redundancy threshold changes
- New obligation when refusing flexible working requests.
As these consultations begin, we will provide updates and how you can participate, should you wish.
