Employer Guidance

The Employment Rights Bill: What Employers Need to Know

A plain-English guide to the Employment Rights Bill and what it means for small business employers, and how to get ready without the panic.

Get Tailored Advice Call 0121 289 9011
The Headline

The biggest change to employment law in a generation

The Employment Rights Bill represents the most significant package of employment reforms in years, touching everything from day-one rights to how contracts and dismissals work. For small businesses without an in-house HR team, that’s a lot to keep on top of, and getting it wrong can be costly.

The good news: with the right preparation, most of it is manageable. This page breaks down the areas most likely to affect small employers, in plain English. For advice specific to your business, book a free HR health check and we’ll walk you through exactly what applies to you.

Book a Free HR Health Check
Employer reviewing employment law changes with an HR consultant
Key Changes

What’s changing

The areas most likely to affect small and medium employers.

01

Day-One Rights

Several protections that once required qualifying service are moving to day one of employment, changing how you handle early-stage exits.

02

Unfair Dismissal

Reforms to unfair dismissal mean your onboarding, probation and documentation need to be tighter than ever.

03

Fair Pay & Hours

New expectations around predictable hours and zero-hours arrangements will affect how you contract flexible staff.

04

Family & Leave

Enhanced family-friendly and leave entitlements mean policies and contracts will need reviewing and updating.

Small business team discussing HR policy updates
Get Ready

How to prepare now

You don’t need to overhaul everything overnight, but a few sensible steps now will save a scramble later. Start by reviewing your contracts and probation processes, tightening your documentation, and making sure your managers know what’s changing.

  • Audit your contracts against the incoming rules.
  • Review probation & dismissal processes and records.
  • Update policies for leave, hours and family rights.
  • Brief your managers so they apply the changes consistently.
Get Tailored Advice
Don’t Get Caught Out

Ready for the new rules?

Book a free HR health check and we’ll tell you exactly what the Employment Rights Bill means for your business, and what to do about it.

Book a Free HR Health Check Call 0121 289 9011