Found: businessandtrade.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/dbt 19 November 2025 Dear Liam, Implementing the Employment Rights Bill

Found: complaining that this Government are adding more and more cost and regulation, including the Employment Rights Bill

Found: supply. 2 CBI, Employment Trends Survey, 2024. 2Similarly new measures proposed under the Employment Rights Bill

Found: Employment Rights Bill The government is delivering our plan to Make Work Pay through the Employment

Found:  Employment Rights Bill – this bill is expected to create further costs and duties for those working

Found: .  Employment Rights Bill – LIVE welcomes proposals to prohibit the use of non-disclosure and other

Found: .  Employment Rights Bill may impact casual summer staff.  Healthcare standards becoming statutory

Found: Employment changes including Employment Rights Bill: saw the increase in minimum wage which means higher

Found: could be strengthened is to ensure that legislative reforms – such as Martyn’s Law and the Employment Rights Bill

Found: The Showmen’s Guild of G.B. and the ACP are concerned as to the requirements of the Employment Rights Bill

Found: . - Employment Rights Bill, clarity needed for seasonal, freelance, and volunteering roles. - Crime and

Found: Forthcoming Legislation Three legislative developments illustrate both promise and risk:  Employment Rights Bill

Found: Horizon scandal redress: Unfinished business: Government response HC 778 3rd Make Work Pay: Employment Rights Bill

Found: Horizon scandal redress: Unfinished business: Government response HC 778 3rd Make Work Pay: Employment Rights Bill

Found: Committee worked on the Make Work Pay employment rights, which obviously came to us as the Employment Rights Bill

Found: reforms accompanying the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill and the Employment Rights Bill

Found: A lot of employers blame that on the Employment Rights Bill that is coming through and on the increase

Found: We welcome the steps forward in the Employment Rights Bill, which will mean employers can only refuse

Found: intention to introduce statutory rights to time off for union Equality Representatives in the Employment Rights Bill

Found: SBS0055) This can be improved easily by enforcing employment status and bringing forward the Employment Rights Bill

Found: absorb recent increases in employment costs, and with further increases looming under the Employment Rights Bill

Found: .  Regulatory burden for small businesses – particularly regarding Employment Rights Bill which will

Found: NI contributions, compliance with the Employment Rights Bill, business rates).

Found: The recent increase in National Minimum Wage and the changes proposed via the new Employment Rights Bill

Found: national insurance, proposed reforms to business rates, and the planned measures in the Employment Rights Bill

Found: In addition, delivering on the Employment Rights Bill in a way that is true to our manifesto commitment

Found: interventions proposed in Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life no reference is made to the Employment Rights Bill

Found: interventions proposed in Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life no reference is made to the Employment Rights Bill

Found: early years workforce is such an urgent issue, and I am quite surprised that the excellent Employment Rights Bill

Found: And also the looming threat of the Employment rights bill, but I will stick to the specific points of

Found: And also the looming threat of the Employment rights bill, but I will stick to the specific points

Found: As well as improving access to flexible working, the Employment Rights Bill will reduce the prevalence

Found: competing considerations for employers, including those related to policy proposed in the Employment Rights Bill

Found: welcome government plans to make flexible working the "default" for all workers as part of the Employment Rights Bill

Found: interventions proposed in Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life no reference is made to the Employment Rights Bill

Found: Through the Employment Rights Bill, the Government is delivering the biggest upgrade in employment rights

Found: Commission Report; and delivered legislation to establish the Fair Work Agency through the Employment Rights Bill

Found: Letter from the Minister for Employment Rights and Consumer Protection relating to Employment Rights Bill

Found: Do you think it should be opining on the Employment Rights Bill though?

Found: The new Employment Rights Bill will ensure that there is a Fair Work Agency.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure flexibility in the workplace for people living with fluctuating conditions like multiple sclerosis (MS).

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments, including workplace flexibilities, where a disabled person or person with a long-term health condition would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage. This includes chronic and fluctuating health conditions and disabilities, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The Equality and Human Rights Commission provides statutory guidance to employers covering this. DWP also provides tailored guidance through its Support with Employee Health and Disability online service and the Disability Confident Scheme encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces including guidance on flexible working.

All employees have the existing right to request flexible working arrangements. The Employment Rights Bill is designed to make it more likely that flexible working requests are accepted and would require employers to explain the basis for their decision where rejecting a request. The Keep Britain Working Review is currently establishing vanguards to explore innovative ways to support more disabled employees to stay in work.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans he has to review the (a) length of statutory paternity leave and (b) level of pay provided during this period.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

On 1 July we launched the Parental Leave and Pay Review, which is considering all existing and upcoming parental leave entitlements, including Paternity Leave and Pay. When considering calls to increase entitlements for parents, the Government will balance the needs of families, the impact on employers, and affordability for taxpayers.

We recognise that more can be done to support working families now. That is why, through the Employment Rights Bill, we are making Paternity Leave a ‘day one’ right, which will bring an extra 32,000 fathers and partners into scope of the entitlement.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle the risk of modern slavery in hand car washes.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government is committed to tackling modern slavery across all sectors, including hand car washes.

The Home Office funds the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), which operates a national licensing scheme in certain high-risk sectors to protect vulnerable workers from exploitation. The GLAA has specially trained officers with police-style powers to prevent, detect, and investigate serious labour exploitation across the entire economy in England and Wales.

The Government is improving the enforcement of employment rights by establishing the Fair Work Agency (FWA) through the Employment Rights Bill. The FWA will bring together the GLAA, the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, and HMRC’s National Minimum Wage Team. This will ensure a more cohesive and streamlined response to exploitation.

The FWA will have strong powers to investigate and take action against a range of labour market abuses, including serious exploitation and modern slavery. This includes new powers to investigate under the Fraud Act 2006.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, which UK automotive manufacturers and tier-one suppliers Ministers and officials have met to discuss the provisions of the Employment Rights Bill since 1 July 2024; on what dates those meetings took place; and what sector-specific concerns were raised.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government is committed to engaging closely with employers throughout the development and implementation of Make Work Pay. Officials meet regularly with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders to discuss the Employment Rights Bill, as well as other bodies representing automotive manufacturers and suppliers, such as Make UK, the largest representative of UK manufacturers. There is also regular engagement through the Auto Council’s Skills Working Group.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what formal consultation his Department has undertaken with (a) UK automotive manufacturers and (b) their UK-based supply-chain firms on the Employment Rights Bill; what representations his Department has received from those businesses; and how the Government has responded to those representations.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government is committed to engaging closely with employers throughout the development and implementation of Make Work Pay. Officials meet regularly with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders to discuss the Employment Rights Bill, as well as other bodies representing automotive manufacturers and suppliers, such as Make UK, the largest representative of UK manufacturers. There is also regular engagement through the Auto Council’s Skills Working Group.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on (a) planned capital investment in the UK automotive sector, (b) the economies of areas with substantial automotive manufacturing and (c) that sector’s international competitiveness relative to EU and US automotive labour markets.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

On Monday 21 October 2024, the Government published a comprehensive package of analysis on the impact of the Employment Rights Bill [Employment Rights Bill: impact assessments - GOV.UK].

The assessment provides analysis of the potential costs and benefits to business, the impacts on SMEs, potential trade implications as well as the sectoral impacts of the Bill, including the manufacturing sector.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Government is taking to support women in the workplace with flexible working.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Flexible working can make work more inclusive for those facing barriers to staying in and getting on at work, including women navigating parenthood, caring responsibilities, health conditions, and other personal circumstances.

We are changing legislation through the Employment Rights Bill to make it more likely that flexible working requests are accepted.

Where employers do reject a request, they will be required to explain the basis for their decision.

We also intend to run a public consultation in early 2026 on a new process for employers planning to reject a request to prompt dialogue about what types of flexible working might be feasible.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on (a) UK automotive manufacturers and (b) their domestic supply chains; and whether he has estimated the (i) additional annual recurring cost of that Bill and (ii) aggregate additional cost to that sector in each of the first five years after Royal Assent.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

On Monday 21 October 2024, the Government published a comprehensive package of analysis on the impact of the Employment Rights Bill [Employment Rights Bill: impact assessments - GOV.UK].

The assessment provides analysis of the potential costs and benefits to business, the impacts on SMEs, potential trade implications as well as the sectoral impacts of the Bill, including the manufacturing sector.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on SME firms within UK automotive supply chains; and whether his Department has undertaken any separate modelling of the cost implications for SMEs operating as tier-two and tier-three suppliers.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

On Monday 21 October 2024, the Government published a comprehensive package of analysis on the impact of the Employment Rights Bill [Employment Rights Bill: impact assessments - GOV.UK].

The assessment provides analysis of the potential costs and benefits to business, the impacts on SMEs, potential trade implications as well as the sectoral impacts of the Bill, including the manufacturing sector.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government is taking to ensure employers are taking a proactive and preventative approach to protecting their employees from workplace sexual harassment.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

On 26 October 2024, the Worker Protection (Amendment to the Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 came into force. This inserted a new section 40A into the Equality Act 2010 which requires employers to anticipate the risk of sexual harassment occurring and take steps to prevent it. The Equality and Human Rights Commission published updated guidance to support employers with the changes.

We are also further strengthening protections against harassment by introducing three amendments to the Equality Act 2010 through the Employment Rights Bill. These will:

• require employers to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of their employees;
• introduce an obligation on employers not to permit the harassment of their employees by third parties; and
• introduce a power to enable regulations to specify steps that are to be regarded as “reasonable”, to determine whether an employer has taken all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment.

Employers will be provided with clear guidance in advance of the new legislation coming into force. This will ensure that they are fully supported in complying with the changes.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support women in the hospitality sector.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government is taking important steps through its Employment Rights Bill to protect workers from misconduct in the workplace, including women in the hospitality sector.

We are introducing measures that will restrict the use of non-disclosure agreements in cases of harassment and discrimination and strengthen protections for workers who ‘blow the whistle’ on sexual harassment.

The Bill will also require employers to take ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment of their employees and introduce an obligation on employers not to permit the harassment of their employees by third parties.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to protect workers’ terms and conditions including through the implementation of short-time working arrangements in the construction industry.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Construction Industry Working Rule Agreement, collectively negotiated between employer organisations and trade unions to establish agreed terms and conditions, is a matter for the industry. This agreement provides a consistent framework for fair treatment of workers across the sector, supporting stability and clarity for both employers and employees.

Looking ahead, the Employment Rights Bill will modernise our employment rights legislation. It will provide a new baseline of security for workers including through day one protection from unfair dismissal, increasing protection from sexual harassment, strengthening Statutory Sick Pay and ending exploitative zero hours contacts and tackling fire and rehire.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the costs of the Employment Rights Bill to the NHS.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

No estimate of costs has been made of the Employment Rights Bill to the National Health Service. NHS terms and conditions of service currently provide employees with entitlements above the statutory minimum requirements, reflecting the sector’s commitment to supporting its workforce and maintaining high standards of employment practice.

The changes to the Employment Rights Bill are designed to enhance protections for employees, proving greater job security and clarity around employment terms. The Government’s commitment to deliver reforms to improve working conditions and promote fair treatment in the workplace is set out by the Plan to Make Work Pay. Good, well paid work will mean a healthier and happier workforce which in turn eases pressure on the NHS.

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Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make assessment of the potential impact of companies denying employees (a) continuous service pay rises and (b) other accumulated benefits after being transferred from rolling fixed-term contracts to permanent contracts on those employees.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

There are no current plans to make such an assessment. Under the Fixed-term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2002, employers must not treat employees less favourably because they are on fixed-term contracts than permanent employees doing the same or broadly similar work, unless justified on objective grounds.

Where transfers from one contract to another are being made through fire and rehire, the Employment Rights Bill will make it an automatic unfair dismissal if an employer dismisses an employee in order to change certain core terms in their contract such as a reduction to pay or leave, a change in overall hours or specified changes to shift patterns, unless the employer is in severe financial difficulties and could not reasonably have avoided the need to make the change.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will issue guidance on the interaction between his Department's proposed probationary period and employees’ rights to claim unfair dismissal under the Employment Rights Bill.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government’s Employment Rights Bill Implementation Roadmap, published in July 2025, reiterated our commitment to producing guidance to ensure that employers and employees understand the Plan to Make Work Pay’s changes to employment law, including unfair dismissal day one rights and the statutory probation period.

The Government will work alongside Acas and other partners to ensure the development of practical guidance. We will ensure there is time for employers to prepare and familiarise themselves with the requirements of these changes before they are implemented in 2027.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the (a) Employment Rights Bill and (b) changes to employers' National Insurance Contributions on small and medium-sized businesses.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

My department has published a robust set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill, available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments These include assessments on the impacts to micro, small and medium businesses in line with the Better Regulation Framework.

The Government decided to protect the smallest businesses from the changes to employer NICs by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, and more than half of all employers will either gain or will see no change.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on levels of hiring confidence among small and medium-sized enterprises.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

My department has published a robust set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill, available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments

This analysis includes consideration of increases in labour costs for businesses and the subsequent effects, as well as assessments on the impacts to micro, small and medium businesses in line with the Better Regulation Framework.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that new regulations on zero-hours contracts reflect (a) seasonal and (b) fluctuating work patterns in the (i) hospitality, (ii) agriculture and (iii) other seasonal sectors.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

We appreciate that work can fluctuate seasonally for certain sectors. The Employment Rights Bill provides powers for the zero-hours measures to cater for seasonal work through regulations. We will consult employers, trade unions, and other stakeholders to inform these regulations.

The Bill already allows businesses flexibility while abiding by the legislation. For example, businesses will still be able to use contracts which offer variable numbers of hours of work at different times of the year. It also allows guaranteed hours offers to take the form of limited-term contracts, where reasonable.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate he has made of the potential cost of the requirement in the Employment Rights Bill to give facility time to trade union equality representatives to (a) public and (b) private sector employers.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Employment Rights Bill creates a new statutory right for equality representatives to take reasonable paid time off to fulfil their duties. These representatives play a key role in raising awareness and promoting equal rights, including arranging training and consulting with employers on matters such as collective policies and practices. This will enable organisations to realise the benefits of being an equal opportunities employer.

The Department published an impact assessment on the Employment Rights Bill on 21 October 2024.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to provide targeted support for small employers to help meet the cost of day-one Statutory Sick Pay.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Strengthening Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is part of the Government’s Plan to Make Work Pay ensuring the safety net of sick pay is available to those who need it most. The Government believes that removing the waiting period is essential to ensure employees feel better able to take the time they need to recover from short term illness, without struggling in work and often spreading infectious diseases such as influenza.

The government conducted a Regulatory Impact Assessment on the changes to strengthen Statutory Sick Pay in the Employment Rights Bill, which was published on 21 October 2024. This includes the impacts on small businesses. The additional cost to business of the SSP reforms is around £15 per employee. The government intends to conduct a post-implementation review of the Employment Rights Bill within five years of implementation.

Previous SSP rebate schemes that were available to employers, such as the Percentage Threshold Scheme were seen as complex, expensive to administer, underused by small businesses and did not encourage employers to support their employees during sickness absence.

The Department for Business and Trade provides a range of offers that SMEs may wish to access.  They include the Business Support Service, Gov.uk, the network of 41 local Growth Hubs across England, and the Help to Grow: Management scheme to help improve leadership and management capabilities. The recently launched Business Growth Service (BGS) makes it easier for businesses across the UK to get the advice and support they need to grow and thrive.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending paternity leave for the residents of Newton Abbot constituency.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

We recognise that more can be done to support working families. That is why, through the Employment Rights Bill, we are making Paternity Leave a ‘day one’ right, which will bring an extra 32,000 fathers and partners into scope of the entitlement.

On 1 July we launched the Parental Leave and Pay Review, which will consider all existing and upcoming parental leave entitlements, including Paternity Leave and Pay. When considering calls to increase entitlements for parents, the Government will balance the needs of parents, the impact on employers, and affordability for taxpayers.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Minister for Women and Equalities office on supporting women over the age of 50 years old back into employment.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

There have been no direct discussions with the Minister for Women and Equalities’ office on this specific issue. The Government recognises the valuable contribution that women over the age of 50 make to the economy and society. Work helps everyone play active and fulfilling roles in society while building financial security for retirement.

We offer support for those out of work through our network of Jobcentres and contracted employment programmes. However, we recognise the employment challenges faced by some older women and that is why we offer additional support for older jobseekers.

For eligible new over 50s jobseekers on Universal Credit, we offer Additional Work Coach Time (AWCT) which provides more intensive, tailored support during the first nine months of their claim. This is in addition to the skills provision and job search support that work coaches currently offer to Jobcentre customers.

Work coaches and employers are supported by a network of 50PLUS Champions working across all 37 Jobcentre Districts. Champions provide a critical layer of support through Jobcentres, to ensure the needs of older people are met. Activity includes facilitating engagement with local employers, promoting age inclusive policies, and supporting work coaches to deliver activity locally.

Further support is available to eligible over 50s on Universal Credit, through Midlife MOTs, delivered in Jobcentres which provide an opportunity to review health, finances and skills and signpost to suitable support. There is also a digital Midlife MOT which is offer available for everyone.

We know that work helps everyone, including older people, play active and fulfilling roles in society while building financial security for retirement. That’s why the Government is committed to reforming employment support to ensure it is inclusive and meets the needs of those who require it, including unemployed or economically inactive women over the age of 50.

DWP officials also work closely with the Office for Equality and Opportunity on the policy proposals in the Employment Rights Bill which will require large employers with more than 250 employees to produce Menopause Action Plans on how they will support employees through the menopause. The Government has published guidance on menopause, including for small employers on measures to consider relating to uniform and temperature, flexible working and recording menopause related leave and absence.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department has taken to improve parental rights for workers in the North East.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Through the Employment Rights Bill, we are strengthening rights for parents by making Paternity Leave and Unpaid Parental Leave ‘day one’ rights for qualifying employees, removing restrictions on taking Paternity Leave after Shared Parental Leave, strengthening flexible working rights, and bolstering protections for new and expectant mothers. On 1 July we launched the Parental Leave Review which will consider how parental leave can better reflect modern work and childcare realities and support working families.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions his Department has had with local Chambers of Commerce on the implementation of the Employment Rights Bill.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government is committed to engaging closely with employers throughout the development of Make Work Pay policy and implementation. This will continue throughout and beyond the passage of the Employment Rights Bill. We have engaged directly with over 250 stakeholders across 254 meetings since August 2024. We have engaged directly with 138 businesses of which 75 are Small and Medium Enterprises. Department officials meet routinely with the British Chambers of Commerce, as one of the key business stakeholders.

We will continue to work closely with businesses and business organisations.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on preparing Jobcentres for the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Our Get Britain Working strategy is driving forward reforms and helping create a more inclusive labour market that supports economic growth and opportunity for individuals. The Employment Rights Bill is key to this agenda as it aims to deliver greater security in work, support higher living standards and contribute positively to productivity.

This complements our approach to Jobcentre reform; the new Jobs and Careers service will have a renewed focus on helping people into good quality work, with career progression and increased earnings potential. It will also put employers’ needs at the heart of the service - we are engaging closely with employers on the design of a future service.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has engaged with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the government’s approach to these labour market reforms.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department plans to review the use of (a) confidentiality clauses and (b) NDAs in consumer redress agreements involving alleged (i) harm or (ii) injury to animals.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

DBT does not currently have any plans to review consumer redress agreements involving alleged harm or injury to animals.

The MoJ recently introduced an amendment to the Victims and Courts Bill which ensures that confidentiality clauses or NDAs used in any context cannot be legally enforced to the extent that they purport to prevent victims and direct witnesses of crime (including those who reasonably believe they fall into these categories), from making allegations of, or disclosing information relating to, relevant criminal conduct. This could include any animal cruelty which constitutes criminal behaviour.

Earlier this year, DBT also announced reform in the Employment Rights Bill to address the misuse of NDAs in cases of relevant harassment and discrimination. The government will be consulting on this reform in due course.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle workplace discrimination.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Equality Act 2010 provides protection against discrimination, harassment and victimisation in the workplace and in wider society.

The government has introduced and supports a number of schemes and initiatives to support those who have faced discrimination in the workplace. Among these are the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) and the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas).

The EASS is a government helpline established to provide free bespoke advice and in-depth support to individuals with discrimination concerns. You can contact the EASS via their website, which you can access here: http://www.equalityadvisoryservice.com/, by telephone on 0808 8000082 or text phone on 0808 8000084. The EASS is able to intervene on an individual’s behalf with a service provider to help resolve an issue. The EASS can also advise people who wish to take their complaint further on their options.

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) provides authoritative and impartial advice free to employees or employers in relation to employment discrimination issues via their website. and telephone helpline 0300 123 1100 or text relay service 18001 0300 123 1100. You can access the website here: http://www.acas.org.uk. Acas also provides employees and employers with Early Conciliation to help them resolve/settle their workplace dispute without going to court.

The Employment Rights Bill, introduced to Parliament on 10 October 2024, contains robust measures to safeguard working people, including protections from sexual harassment, employer action plans covering gender and menopause, and improved dismissal protections for new and expecting mothers.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 16 October (HL Deb col 355) that “a statutory probation period will be introduced with light-touch standards for fair dismissal based on performance and stability”, what is the length of that statutory probation period and what are the grounds for dismissal during that period.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Next Steps to Make Work Pay, published in 2024, set out the Government’s preference for the statutory probation period to be nine months long.

Under the Employment Rights Bill, the normal grounds for fair dismissal (under the Employment Rights Act 1996) will apply in this period, and light-touch standards will apply to dismissals for reasons of the employee’s conduct, capability, illegality, or some other substantial reason relating to the employee. The Government believes this will allow businesses to remain confident in hiring.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2025 to Question 37801 on Conditions of Employment, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of allowing local authority employers that adopt a four day week to contact employees by (a) email, (b) text and (c) phone on their fallow working day in the proposed draft Statutory Code of Practice under the right to switch off on those employers.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government believes in the importance of a good work life balance, which is why we are improving access to flexible working through the Employment Rights Bill.

If employees have different working patterns, it is important to agree an approach that works to meet business needs and support employees.

As we develop the right to switch off we will consult with local authorities, employers and trade unions to ensure it strikes the right balance, to support both businesses and the workforce.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to encourage bereavement leave uptake among (a) shift workers and (b) carers.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Employment Rights Bill will introduce a new right to Bereavement Leave for those grieving the loss of a loved one or a pregnancy.

A consultation was launched on 23^rd October, and was widely shared. We will invite a range of groups, including business, charities, trade unions and others who represent caregivers and shift workers to roundtables to discuss the questions raised by the consultation and how the entitlement can best be constructed to meet the needs of those they represent.

This approach will ensure the entitlement is constructed with the needs of employees and employers at the forefront.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help protect female whistle-blowers in male-dominated industries.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government is taking a range of actions to strengthen whistleblowing protections for workers, including female workers.

Through the Employment Rights Bill, we are amending the Employment Rights Act 1996 to clarify that workers are protected from detriment or dismissal by their employer if they ‘blow the whistle’ on sexual harassment, as long as the conditions in the legislation are met. This is an important reform that may encourage more workers to speak up about sexual harassment.

In addition, the Government will introduce legislation in this Parliament to disbar senior NHS leaders who have been dishonest or covered up unsafe practice from working in leadership roles in the NHS again.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Sherlock on 13 October (HL Deb col 12), whether there is academic research to evidence that the Employment Rights Bill will be a driver of productivity; and, if so, what the research shows.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

On Monday 21 October 2024, the Government published the Employment Rights Bill: economic analysis and summary impact assessment. The analysis shows that the Employment Rights Bill could have a small but direct and positive, impact on economic growth. It cites academic evidence linking stronger employment protections to improved productivity and highlights that better job security, wellbeing, and reduced undercutting of good employers may lead to a more productive workforce.

This assessment is grounded in the best available evidence developed in consultation with experts, including academics.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to expand protections for British seafarers employed by companies registered outside of the UK.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is acting through the Employment Rights Bill to improve protections for seafarers by providing powers to protect the working conditions of those working aboard international services frequently calling at UK ports. The Bill will also close a loophole that prevented prosecution of employers who failed to provide notification of proposed collective redundancies aboard ships registered outside of the UK. These protections will benefit seafarers working aboard services in scope, including when they are employed by companies registered outside of the UK.

My Department will also continue to work internationally to improve protections for seafarers, including through implementing the amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention agreed in April by representatives of shipowners, seafarers and governments at the International Labour Organization in Geneva. The new provisions include measures that will help to protect seafarers against violence and harassment, strengthen their rights to repatriation and improve access to shore leave. It is expected that these amendments will come into force internationally on 23 December 2027.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to improve the enforcement regime for payment of awards made in the employment tribunal.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Workers should receive the payments they are entitled to. As part of the Plan for Change we will look at ways of strengthening enforcement options, including the Employment Tribunal Penalty scheme which will move to the Fair Work Agency (FWA) once established.

The proposed powers of the FWA are set out in the Employment Rights Bill and we are committed to ensuring that it has the appropriate resources to discharge its responsibilities. The FWA will work closely with HMRC, Insolvency Service and other relevant enforcement bodies to do this as effectively as possible. This will include considering how to use existing powers to tackle misuse of phoenix companies.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to take steps to ensure that (a) kinship and (b) foster carers have the same employment leave rights as (i) adoptive, (ii) maternity and (iii) paternity carers.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government has committed to conducting a review of the whole parental leave system. This review was launched on 1 July and represents a much-needed opportunity to consider our approach to the system of parental leave and pay.

The department will also consider whether the support available meets the needs of other working families who do not qualify for existing leave and pay entitlements, such as kinship carers.

Foster carers who combine fostering with paid employment have a range of existing workplace rights and legal entitlements to help manage their dual responsibilities, including the right to request flexible working from day one, introduced through the Employment Rights Bill, and adoption leave where applicable. The department also supports The Fostering Network’s ‘Fostering Friendly Employers’ campaign.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department (a) collects and (b) publishes data on the outcomes of employment tribunal enforcement actions taken under (i) the employment tribunal penalty enforcement scheme, (ii) employment tribunal fast track enforcement and (iii) county court judgments.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Workers should receive the payments they are entitled to. As part of the Plan for Change we will look at ways of strengthening enforcement options, including the Employment Tribunal Penalty scheme which will move to the Fair Work Agency (FWA) once established.

The proposed powers of the FWA are set out in the Employment Rights Bill and we are committed to ensuring that it has the appropriate resources to discharge its responsibilities. The FWA will work closely with HMRC, Insolvency Service and other relevant enforcement bodies to do this as effectively as possible. This will include considering how to use existing powers to tackle misuse of phoenix companies.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many employment tribunal awards have been made each year since 2016; and what proportion of those have been (a) paid in (i) full and (ii) part and (b) remain unpaid.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Workers should receive the payments they are entitled to. As part of the Plan for Change we will look at ways of strengthening enforcement options, including the Employment Tribunal Penalty scheme which will move to the Fair Work Agency (FWA) once established.

The proposed powers of the FWA are set out in the Employment Rights Bill and we are committed to ensuring that it has the appropriate resources to discharge its responsibilities. The FWA will work closely with HMRC, Insolvency Service and other relevant enforcement bodies to do this as effectively as possible. This will include considering how to use existing powers to tackle misuse of phoenix companies.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has considered bringing forward legislative proposals to make company directors personally liable for unpaid employment tribunal awards.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Workers should receive the payments they are entitled to. As part of the Plan for Change we will look at ways of strengthening enforcement options, including the Employment Tribunal Penalty scheme which will move to the Fair Work Agency (FWA) once established.

The proposed powers of the FWA are set out in the Employment Rights Bill and we are committed to ensuring that it has the appropriate resources to discharge its responsibilities. The FWA will work closely with HMRC, Insolvency Service and other relevant enforcement bodies to do this as effectively as possible. This will include considering how to use existing powers to tackle misuse of phoenix companies.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has considered introducing restrictions on directors who repeatedly preside over companies that fail to comply with tribunal judgments.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Workers should receive the payments they are entitled to. As part of the Plan for Change we will look at ways of strengthening enforcement options, including the Employment Tribunal Penalty scheme which will move to the Fair Work Agency (FWA) once established.

The proposed powers of the FWA are set out in the Employment Rights Bill and we are committed to ensuring that it has the appropriate resources to discharge its responsibilities. The FWA will work closely with HMRC, Insolvency Service and other relevant enforcement bodies to do this as effectively as possible. This will include considering how to use existing powers to tackle misuse of phoenix companies.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to give the Fair Work Agency powers to pursue company directors where a company has failed to pay a tribunal award.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Workers should receive the payments they are entitled to. As part of the Plan for Change we will look at ways of strengthening enforcement options, including the Employment Tribunal Penalty scheme which will move to the Fair Work Agency (FWA) once established.

The proposed powers of the FWA are set out in the Employment Rights Bill and we are committed to ensuring that it has the appropriate resources to discharge its responsibilities. The FWA will work closely with HMRC, Insolvency Service and other relevant enforcement bodies to do this as effectively as possible. This will include considering how to use existing powers to tackle misuse of phoenix companies.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of taking legislative steps to include IVF in the (a) Employment Rights Act 2010 and (b) Employment Rights Act 1996.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government is committed to improving the wellbeing and work-life balance of all workers, including those navigating the difficult journey of fertility treatment. We are introducing measures through the employment rights bill to make flexible working available to more people, more easily. This change could help employees and employers agree arrangements that support attendance at medical appointments, including those for IVF.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade if his Department will publish (a) the number of requests it has received from claimants for respondents to (i) fined and (ii) named under the Employment Tribunal penalty enforcement and naming scheme and (b) the number of respondents who have been (A) fined and (B) named in each year since 2016.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Workers should receive the payments they are entitled to. As part of the Plan for Change we will look at ways of strengthening enforcement options, including the Employment Tribunal Penalty scheme which will move to the Fair Work Agency (FWA) once established.

The proposed powers of the FWA are set out in the Employment Rights Bill and we are committed to ensuring that it has the appropriate resources to discharge its responsibilities. The FWA will work closely with HMRC, Insolvency Service and other relevant enforcement bodies to do this as effectively as possible. This will include considering how to use existing powers to tackle misuse of phoenix companies.

Found: The OBR will also assess the effect of the Employment Rights Bill on its economic forecasts for the

Found: Alongside its inquiry into the Employment Rights Bill, the Business and Trade Committee conducted

Anniversary of first recorded labour action in human history

Found: Jointly with DBT , introduced the Employment Rights Bill, which will deliver the biggest upgrade in

Found: An update on the Employment Rights Bill

Found: The Employment Rights Bill currently under consideration in Parliament has provisions to further strengthen

Found: That’s why, within our first 100 days, we delivered on our commitment to introduce the Employment Rights Bill

Found: , and workplace voting for trade union statutory ballots following Royal Assent of the Employment Rights Bill

Found: The Employment Rights Bill (ERB) was introduced in October 2024 and that also marked the start of planning

Found: Delivered through the Employment Rights Bill, this includes new duties on employers to inform workers

Found: To align with new statutory legislation following the publication of the Employment Rights Bill in October

Found: To align with new statutory legislation following the publication of the Employment Rights Bill in October

Found: The Employment Rights Bill currently under consideration in Parliament has provisions to further strengthen

Found: The evaluation, along with the UK Government’s forthcoming Employment Rights Bill and wider Make Work

Found: UK Government employment rights bill documentation: FOI release

Found: UK Government employment rights bill documentation: FOI release

Found: The UK Government is proposing a Pay Negotiation Body for Social Care as part of the wider Employment Rights Bill

Found: General Fair Work resources Employment Rights Bill: factsheets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Description:

Found: . • A UK-wide approach would be beneficial and there might be opportunities through the Employment Rights Bill

Found: In addition, we continue to work with the UK Government as its Employment Rights Bill progresses, which

Found: The Scottish Government is supportive of the overall ambitions of the UK Government Employment Rights Bill

Found: The Scottish Government is supportive of the overall ambitions of the UK Government Employment Rights Bill

Found: However, we welcome the UKG Employment Rights Bill (ERB), as part of its wider Make Work Pay programme

Found: loss (in line with eligibility considerations currently taking place with regards to the Employment Rights Bill

Found: The minister spoke about the upcoming Employment Rights Bill and its progress.

Found: Bill no. 173. 46 UK Parliament (2025) Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill. 47 Employment Rights Bill

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact on women working in the Scottish public sector whose employers will not be covered by the UK Government’s commitment to introduce mandatory gender pay gap action plans, in light of reported concerns that they may be left behind if equivalent measures are not introduced.

Answered by Stewart, Kaukab - Minister for Equalities

While inter-governmental discussions are ongoing, and while we are developing PSED-related improvement proposals, we have not yet made an assessment of the likely impact on women of the UK Government’s commitment but we are making stringent efforts to resolve this matter and to consider how action planning could be used in a Scottish context.

As Minister for Equalities, I am still awaiting a confirmed meeting date with UK Government Ministers, following an offer via correspondence in May 2025, to discuss the Scottish Government’s concerns around provisions in the UK Government’s Employment Rights Bill and to seek a resolution in line with current timelines for the Bill’s passage. These concerns relate to powers to mandate for equality action plans and the naming of outsourcing providers for public bodies in Scotland. Currently these provisions will only come into force for public bodies in England, and so Scottish Ministers continue to seek assurances around receiving the equivalent powers to regulate as those proposed for UK Government Ministers.

Using the powers that we do have and as part of the Scottish Government’s phased approach to improving the effectiveness of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in Scotland, we continue to review the operation of the Scottish Specific Duties to support Scottish listed authorities to enable better performance of the general duty.

Found: recommended Planning and Infrastructure Bill (supplementary) 13 August 2025 Consent recommended Employment Rights Bill

Found: Commitment to the UK’s first Men’s Health Strategy _________________________31 Make Work Pay: Employment Rights Bill

Found: during Q2 2025 Bill title Date memorandum lodged Consent recommendation by Scottish Government Employment Rights Bill

Found: Error and Recovery) Bill Partial consent recommended 25 June 2025 Partial consent grantedxx Employment Rights Bill

Found: Health and Social Care Committee Report on Legislative Consent Memorandum No. 3 for the Employment Rights Bill

Found: WG response to HSC report on Employment Rights Bill

Found: Health and Social Care Committee Report 1 Summary The Employment Rights Bill

Found: We note that the UK Employment Rights Bill includes provisions to allow for the establishment of a Social

Found: Welsh Government’s Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum (Memorandum No. 3) on the Employment Rights Bill

Found: Welsh Government’s Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum (Memorandum No. 3) on the Employment Rights Bill

Found: Welsh Government’s Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum (Memorandum No. 4) on the Employment Rights Bill

Found: Positively, as part of the UK Government Employment Rights Bill, provisions were included to develop

Found: In addition, in the third memorandum on the Employment Rights Bill, Jack Sargeant MS, the Minister for

Question

What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the cost of a 1 per cent average increase in the pay of the employed social care workforce?

Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care

Welsh Government reviews social care workers' pay each year, as part of our commitment to paying the Real Living Wage (RLW), recognising their important role supporting vulnerable people in Wales.

The RLW has increased by far more than 1% annually in recent years. This policy was developed in 2022, with funding provided through the local authority settlement to address the difference between the National Living Wage (NLW) and the RLW. Consequently, a cost assessment of a 1% increase has not been required. For example, in 2025–26, the RLW increased by 5% and this change was reflected in the settlement allocation.

Improving pay for our social care workforce is a priority for government, and whilst work is now underway to implement Fair Pay Agreements (FPAs) in Wales through the UK Government’s Employment Rights Bill, these agreements are not expected to come into force until 2028. In the interim period, particularly over the next two years, we are committed to ensuring that the RLW policy is effective and delivering its intended benefits for the workforce.

The Social Care Fair Work Forum is also conducting work on a Pay and Progression Framework for the social care sector.