Clarity for employers as Employment Rights Bill passes

16 Dec 2025

Employment Rights Bill passes final stage in the House of Lords, although most measures still require secondary legislation, with unfair dismissal day one right extended to six months of service from 2027 and immediate statutory sick pay entitlement from next April

After months of debate and legislation bouncing between the Lords and parliament, the Employment Rights Bill has now passed its last challenge after shadow business secretary, Lord Sharpe, withdrew his latest amendment.

Kate Palmer, chief operations officer at Peninsula, said: ‘Today’s decision means that finally, after months of debate and deadlock, employers know what to expect when the Employment Rights Bill becomes law.’

Although most of the measures still require secondary legislation, some changes will come sooner than others.