As predicted, the government has today confirmed which of its proposed reforms to employment law will actually become law.
The most eye-catching one is definitely “Day One” unfair dismissal rights so, when the bill does eventually become law, employees will no longer have to work for 2 continuous years before acquiring this right to bring an unfair dismissal claim.
However, the good news is that the government is going to allow 9 month probationary periods (you might want to get your employment contracts amended now to reflect what is coming!).
Other important reforms to mention include:
- A ban on zero hours contracts.
- “Day One” right to paid and unpaid paternity leave.
- The right to flexible working.
- The right to statutory sick pay from “Day One” of employment, removing the lower earnings limit.
On a more positive note for employers, the necessary consultation process required to bring these measures into actual law will be protracted and means they are unlikely to come into force until the Autumn of 2026. Therefore, thankfully, businesses are at least going to have plenty of time to prepare for the changes.
We suggest keeping a look out in the press and on social media for more commentary from various sources in the coming days.