I welcome Employment Rights Bill ambitions - but I'm concerned about poor implementation: Jodie Hill
The Employment Rights Bill is being described as the most significant overhaul of workplace rights in a generation - and for once, that description isn’t hyperbole.
As an employment solicitor and someone who has campaigned for years for more inclusive, mentally healthy workplaces, I welcome the ambition behind this Bill. But legislation alone does not create fairness. Employers do.
The Bill introduces sweeping changes: unfair dismissal protections after six months (rather than two years), day-one rights to sick pay and parental leave, limits on exploitative zero-hours practices, stronger protections from harassment, and a new Fair Work Agency to monitor compliance.
These are long-overdue steps that bring the UK closer to the modern, compassionate workplace framework employees deserve.
But what concerns me most - and what should concern employers - is the impact of poor implementation.
Because whenever employment law changes, the groups that suffer most from teething problems are always the same: disabled people, neurodivergent individuals, women, younger workers, ethnic minorities, and anyone in insecure or low-paid roles. These are the very workers the Bill is designed to protect.
Day-one rights sound simple, but in practice they require employers to rethink how they manage attendance, performance and probation.
If managers aren’t trained properly, or if organisations rush to “tighten up” early-stage processes out of fear of claims, we risk seeing more discrimination, not less. As someone who was diagnosed with ADHD later in life, I know first-hand how easily disabled and neurodivergent employees can be misunderstood or pushed out of roles when systems lack flexibility or awareness.
The reduction of the unfair dismissal qualifying period to six months is another example.
While it strengthens worker protections, it also means many employers will need to radically improve how they support staff from day one. Clear documentation, inclusive performance management, and early, open communication are now essential - not optional extras.
If this is done well, the Bill could be transformative. It could close long-standing gaps in employment outcomes, improve job security, support working parents, and strengthen trust between employers and employees. It could also drive cultural change in sectors where poor practices have been normalised for too long.
But if employers treat this as just another compliance exercise, the opportunity will be lost.
I believe this moment calls for leadership - from government, from employers, and from those of us who work every day to create healthier workplaces.
At Thrive Law, we’ve already begun working with organisations to help them prepare not just legally but culturally.
Because the true test of this Bill will be in how well employers adapt, educate their managers, and embed inclusion from the outset.
These changes won’t happen overnight. Many provisions will be phased in through 2026 and 2027. That means now is the time for employers to act, reflect and plan.
Jodie Hill is Founder & Managing Partner of Thrive Law