{"id":397,"date":"2025-12-06T13:49:03","date_gmt":"2025-12-06T13:49:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/strackssmokingrill.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/06\/employment-rights-bill-watered-down-whats-changed\/"},"modified":"2025-12-06T13:49:03","modified_gmt":"2025-12-06T13:49:03","slug":"employment-rights-bill-watered-down-whats-changed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/strackssmokingrill.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/06\/employment-rights-bill-watered-down-whats-changed\/","title":{"rendered":"Employment Rights Bill watered down \u2013 what\u2019s changed?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week, the government confirmed it will U-turn on its proposed changes to unfair dismissals, a major commitment under its Employment Rights Bill<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Bill’s original plan was to give employees protection from unfair dismissal from their very first day in the job. But that protection will now kick in at six months, rather than day one.<\/p>\n

It’s a major shift, since the Bill represents the biggest overhaul of employment law in years, with new legislation that will affect hiring, firing, sick pay, and parental leave.<\/p>\n

Why the Bill is being revised — and what’s changed<\/h2>\n

While headline reforms, like day-one sick pay and parental leave, remain on track to be delivered, the government has backtracked on one of its most controversial proposals. Instead of “day-one” unfair dismissal rights, employees will first need to work a “qualifying period”.<\/p>\n

Employees will need to work for six months continuously to benefit from protection against unfair dismissal, instead of from the first day, as initially proposed.<\/p>\n

As it stands now, employees have to work for 24 months continuously to receive protection against unfair dismissal, except in cases of discrimination or ‘automatically unfair’ grounds for dismissal.<\/p>\n

The compromise of six months is the result of weeks of negotiation<\/a> involving ministers, business groups and trade unions.<\/p>\n

On one hand, employers warned that day-one rights would make it harder to manage probation periods<\/a>, while unions argued for stronger job security. The six-month model emerged as a middle ground.<\/p>\n

Several other reforms from the original Bill will go ahead unchanged. From April 2026, employers will need to offer their staff:<\/p>\n