With the Employment Rights Bill likely to become law shortly, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has published four consultations seeking views on how some of the Bill’s provisions should be implemented.
The DBT is seeking views on how the duty on employers to give a written statement to their workers, at the start of their employment and at other times, informing them of their right to join a trade union can be implemented effectively while minimising the burden on employers. This includes details on what form the statement should take and what content should be included, how it must be delivered, and how often it must be reissued after the beginning of employment. The consultation can be found on the government’s website. It closes on 18 December 2025.
The DBT is also seeking views on how the new legal framework for trade unions to access workplaces physically, and to communicate with workers in person or digitally, should work in practice. The consultation can be found on the government’s website. It closes on 18 December 2025.
A further consultation concerns enhancing protections against dismissal for pregnant women and new mothers. The Bill will make it unlawful to dismiss pregnant women, mothers on maternity leave and mothers who return to work for at least a six-month period after they return, except in specific circumstances. The DBT is seeking views on these protections, including the specific circumstances in which dismissal should still be allowed, when the protections should start and end, and whether other new parents should be covered by them. The consultation can be found on the government’s website. It closes on 15 January 2026.
The DBT is also consulting on the new day-one right to unpaid bereavement leave for employees who experience the loss of a loved one, including pregnancy loss before 24 weeks. The consultation can be found on the government’s website. It closes on 15 January 2026.