UK: Employment Reforms: Update

Authors: Stephen Miller, Corinna Harris, and Sophie Jackson

The Employment Rights Bill continues to progress through Parliament.

The Employment Rights Bill is currently at Committee stage in the House of Lords where the Bill is undergoing detailed consideration.

The government has published proposed amendments to the zero hours and low hours workers guaranteed working hours provisions of the Bill for the Committee to consider. These include expanding the categories of automatically unfair dismissal to include dismissals linked to the right to guaranteed hours. Another amendment, to ensure that certain workers on annualised hours contracts fall within the scope of the right to guaranteed hours, has already been agreed by the Committee.

Concerns have been raised about the Bill’s third party harassment provisions, which introduce a significant new liability on employers for harassment (on any ground) of their employees during the course of their employment by third parties, and the burden this will place on employers.

Key Action Points for Human Resources and In-house Counsel

The Bill is scheduled to complete the Lords Committee stage on 5 June 2025.