Tracking law changes: Employment Rights Act 2025

The UK Government's plan to Make Work Pay changes multiple aspects of employment law; changing the two-year qualifying period to claim unfair dismissal to six months, is just one example. 

Most of these changes will be delivered through the Employment Rights Act 2025. The roadmap for the delivery of changes (including a visual timeline for CIPD members showing when the measures will be implemented) is set out below. 

There are still areas that need further clarity and consultation (such as new rights for zero-hours and low-hours workers, and proposals on trade union access and recognition), and some of the measures will require secondary legislation before coming into force. CIPD members can keep track of developments by logging in below and using the tracker table. The table tracks the progress of relevant and notable changes by date.

Expanded information below the tracker table provides insights from the CIPD’s Public Policy team, as well as information on what people professionals can do now to prepare for these changes.

In addition to the ERB, the Make Work Pay plan involves other non-regulatory consultations, new regulations and amendments to codes or guidance. There are also changes being introduced under the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill.

Please note, the majority of the ERA 2025 will not apply in Northern Ireland, where employment legislation is almost entirely a devolved (transferred) matter. The NI Executive has published separate proposals on employment law reform.