The Employment Rights Bill Is Coming - And It’s About More Than Compliance

The government’s upcoming Employment Rights Bill (ERB) sounds like a win for workers - day-one rights, fairer contracts, stronger protections. But here’s the truth: laws don’t magically make teams fairer, more productive, or future-ready.

They just raise the stakes if you don’t hire right.

At NX, we see this shift not as a compliance headache but as a strategic opportunity. Because under the new rules, how you hire will determine how well you survive.

A Legal Game-Changer with Strategic Ramifications

Introduced to Parliament in October 2024, the Employment Rights Bill is part of the government’s “Plan to Make Work Pay” and is being rolled out from 2025. It fundamentally changes how UK organisations must approach workforce planning - and makes skills-first hiring a legal advantage.

Here’s what the Bill means in practice:

• Zero- and low-hours contracts: Employers must now guarantee hours based on real working patterns.
  
  NX fix: Skills testing shows who can handle the workload before you commit.
  

• Flexible working: Now a default, not a perk. Employers must handle requests fairly and transparently.
  
  NX fix: We measure adaptability, accountability, and time management - the exact traits flexible work demands.
  

• Unfair dismissal protections from day one: The two-year buffer is gone.
  
  NX fix: Our data-driven assessments help you hire for real performance from the start.
  

Family, Health and Fairness: New Expectations for Employers

• Family leave and redundancy protections: Day-one rights demand resilience and collaboration within teams.
  
  

• Statutory Sick Pay from day one: Reliability and accountability are now compliance issues.
  
  

• ‘Fire and rehire’ restrictions: You can’t “fix” a bad hire later - precision upfront is essential.
  
  

• Stronger union access and oversight: Communication and fairness are now measurable obligations.
  
  

These reforms don’t just create legal risk - they expose cultural and operational ones.

The Strategic Shift Businesses Can’t Ignore

Probation periods are no longer a safety net. Every hire must be right the first time. Flexible working is no longer a benefit; it’s the baseline. And with day-one rights in play, fair systems aren’t optional - they’re survival tools.

When employees can challenge bias, inflexibility, or poor management from day one, your hiring process becomes your compliance strategy.