Labour ditches day-one protection from unfair dismissal in U-turn

UK Employment Rights Bill — what Labour promised, and what workers got

At long last, Labour’s flagship Employment Rights Bill cleared its final parliamentary hurdle on 16 December. Now, the bill is waiting for royal assent (formal approval by the King), which is expected by the end of the week. The shadow business and trade minister — Tory Andrew Sharpe — tabled an amendment, but quickly removed it after a short discussion. With that last roadblock removed, the bill made it through the House of Lords. Employment Ri…

Andrew Griffith: The 'UnEmployment Bill' is bad legislation before you even get to its economic impact

Andrew Griffith MP is Shadow Secretary of State for Business & Trade and Conservative MP for Arundel & South Downs. Conservative Home readers may have followed Labour’s UnEmployment Bill more than most but, as we approach what the government may hope will be its final week in Parliament, employers up and down the country are bracing for the damaging impact of this 330-page job destroying red tape. For those lucky enough not to be familiar with i…

Labour’s dilemma on workers’ rights

Labour has been accused of breaking another manifesto pledge after a last-minute U-turn watering down a key protection in its flagship Employment Rights Bill.Changes to the proposed legislation included the government ditching plans to give workers the right to claim unfair dismissal from day one of a new job. The decision has been described as a “complete betrayal” by one Labour MP and leaves the bill as a “shell of its former self”, according …

Starmer faces Labour rebellion over employment U-turn

Another day, another drama. On Thursday afternoon, it emerged that Sir Keir Starmer’s government were rolling back their commitment to change the ‘qualifying period’ for unfair dismissal from 24 months to day one. Now workers will have to have been in their job for at least six months to qualify, in a move that ministers

Six month rule leaves UK employees living abroad more exposed to dismissal

The UK government promised “the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation”, but it now appears the planned overhaul of employment law under the Employment Rights Bill (ERB) has been scaled back. Instead of protection from unfair dismissal from day one, workers will need to complete a six month qualifying period before they are covered and able to claim unfair dismissal. Until now… Source

Labour U-turns on plans for day-one workers’ protection against unfair dismissal

People will need to have six months of service to claim unfair dismissal against their employer under the proposed change.