Expert comment: Employment Rights Bill

“Tomorrow, the UK Labour government will publish its highly anticipated Employment Rights Bill, which will introduce several key measures that will influence the future of work.

“Speculation suggests the Bill will include provisions such as improved benefits for new parents, day-one protection from unfair dismissal, and statutory sick pay starting from the first day of illness.

“However, ministers are expected to drop plans for a statutory "right to switch off" following discussions with business leaders. They have also rejected the approach used in some countries, where companies are legally required to establish a code of conduct outlining when managers cannot contact employees. Instead, ministers are expected to encourage businesses to create their own guidelines.

“The Employment Rights Bill is a positive move towards granting employees more flexibility and safeguarding their time outside of work. However, the Labour government is likely to encounter strong opposition from businesses that wish to maintain control over how they manage and structure work relationships. Trade unions have also counter argued that the balance of power in the workplace has shifted significantly away from workers over the last decade and believe the expected changes in the Bill will help reverse this trend.

“To try and address some of these concerns, in August the Deputy Prime Minister and Business Secretary hosted senior representatives from trade unions and business organisations to discuss workers’ rights. This will also ensure they benefit from providing research-based evidence on the impacts of the proposed changes if they aim to persuade, rather than simply impose restrictions.”