Last month, the Employment Rights Bill (ERB) entered a ‘ping-pong’ phase, during which MPs considered and voted on amendments to the bill in the House of Lords.

The CIPD reported that some of the most significant amendments that were successfully brought forward by the opposition – the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats – include changes to major policies such as day one rights and zero-hours contracts.

Next steps for the Employment Rights Bill

Parliament is now back in session and the ERB will return to the House of Lords on October 28 and will continue to go back and forth until an agreement can be reached.

Some speculate that the bill will be sent back again with proposed amendments, causing delays.

Due to the expected exchanges, it is expected that royal assent of the bill will come later than expected.

However, Labor has indicated it will “not back down” and is unlikely to accept the proposed changes, experts say.

“The unions have clearly defined their mandate, we know they will push aggressively to pass the ERB, and while government bureaucracy may slow the process, we don’t expect it to go away. Employers need to prepare now,” says Peyton Inglis, human resources consultant at IRIS HR Consulting.

Incoming changes

There has been discussion that areas of the ERB which are not contested could still come into play from the end of October.

Thus, changes regarding bereavement leave, layoffs and rehires, as well as other changes planned in the roadmap, could continue as planned.

Once the Employment Rights Bill receives Royal Assent, implementation set out in the Government’s roadmap can begin.

When will the Employment Rights Bill come into force?

There is no concrete answer as to when the ERB will come into play – expect parts of the bill to come online at different times.

The government’s roadmap remains the best source of guidance.

However, if delays persist during the consultation, the government will face extremely tight deadlines, which could impact implementation.

Suggestions for businesses

Despite continued uncertainty, businesses should review their policies to maintain compliance as the ERB progresses.

Keep an eye on new guidance and announcements to understand upcoming measures and their impact.

As always, we will be sure to report the latest changes!