THE PEOPLE'SVOTE

Civic intelligence prototype

An experiment in explaining, tracking and discussing real legislation. It is not an official parliamentary service, and nothing on it is a vote, a poll or legal advice. Records were verified on 2026-09-23; always check the official page for each law before relying on it.

All dossiers

UK Parliament, 2024-25 session — now an Act

EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS ACT 2025 (INTRODUCED AS THE EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS BILL)

It changes day-one rights, dismissal protection and union access for millions of workers, and the practical effect depends entirely on when each provision is switched on.

Three things people often assume

  • A Bill is not law. Until it is passed and brought into force, it changes nothing.
  • An Act may not take effect immediately. Most laws are switched on in pieces, sometimes years apart.
  • Secondary rules often decide the real impact. Regulations made later receive far less scrutiny than the original debate.
  1. 01

    Issue

    Completed

    Long-running debate on insecure work, zero-hours contracts, dismissal rights and union law.

    No legal effect; this is the evidence and manifesto stage.

  2. 02

    Policy proposal

    Completed

    The 'Plan to Make Work Pay' set out the intended package before drafting.

    The shape of the Bill was largely settled at this stage.

  3. 03

    Bill introduction

    Completed

    Introduced in the House of Commons in October 2024 and published.

    A Bill is a proposal only; it creates no rights or duties.

  4. 04

    Commons stages

    Completed

    Second reading, public bill committee, report stage and third reading.

    Committee evidence is where employer bodies and unions formally put their case.

  5. 05

    Lords stages

    Completed

    Second reading, committee, report and third reading in the House of Lords.

    The Lords pressed a number of changes on scope and thresholds.

  6. 06

    Amendments between Houses

    Completed

    Both Houses considered each other's amendments until the text was agreed.

    Final wording here decided which employers and workers are covered.

  7. 07

    Royal Assent

    Completed

    The Bill became the Employment Rights Act 2025.

    Assent did not change anyone's rights on its own; it unlocked commencement powers.

  8. 08

    Act of Parliament

    Completed

    Published on legislation.gov.uk and already amended by later instruments.

    The enacted text is the legal baseline, but not yet the operative law in most areas.

  9. 09

    Regulations & secondary legislation

    Happening now

    Commencement regulations, including the Commencement No. 2 regulations and their 2026 amendments, switch provisions on in phases. Consultations continue on the detailed rules.

    This is where the practical impact is decided, with far less scrutiny than the Bill received.

  10. 10

    Implementation & review

    Happening now

    Union balloting changes by 31 August 2026; tribunal time limits from 1 October 2026; trade union and harassment package from 30 October 2026; unfair dismissal reform from 1 January 2027.

    Whether rights are real depends on tribunal capacity and on employer compliance support.

Where it stands today

Live current reporting · AI-summarised, neutral

Checking current reporting…