Bitesize Employment Rights Bill

Episode 3 - Further amendments to the Employment Rights Bill

As the Employment Rights Bill (ERB) continues to progress through the House of Lords, the government has set out its anticipated timeline for reform, as well as introducing some additional proposed changes to the law.

In our third episode of Bitesize ERB, Partners, Charlie Rae, and Amy Stokes, discuss:

• key points to note from the government’s timeline for employment law reform; and

• additional changes to the ERB recently proposed by the government, including a ban on NDAs and tweaks to its previous proposals on fire & rehire and for those on zero hours contracts.

Episode 2 – unfair dismissals and ‘fire and rehire’ practices.

In the second episode this series, Partners, Charlie Rae, and Amy Stokes, review two of the most significant reforms proposed under the Employment Rights Bill; changes to unfair dismissal and ‘fire and rehire’.

Across two short parts, they explore what’s changing, what it means in practice, and how employers can prepare. Topics include:

Part 1 – Unfair dismissals

• The removal of the two-year qualifying period and what it means for employers.
• The impact on employees who have not yet started work.
• What the new ‘initial period’ of employment and ‘light touch’ dismissal procedure will look like and the legal implications.
• How the proposed changes will interact with contractual probationary periods.
• When these changes are likely to take effect and how they might impact claims in the employment tribunal.

Part 2 – ‘Fire and rehire’

• How the ERB proposes to alter the practice of “firing and rehiring”.
• The circumstances in which it will be regarded as automatically unfair on an employer seeking to change employees’ terms.
• The proposed exception to automatic unfair dismissal where the employer is in ‘financial difficulty’.
• How the proposed changes will interact with the Code of Practice on Dismissal and Re-engagement.
• The penalties of getting it wrong and the proposed increase of the protective award.

Episode 1 - Guaranteed Hours

In our first episode, we explore how guaranteed hours contracts could impact daily operations in the UK and what employers need to consider.

Get in touch with our employment team if you need any support or advice on the topic: https://www.tlt.com/insights-and-events/in-focus/employment-rights-bill-in-focus/