Employment Rights Bill risks undermining key worker protections, warns IER

On International Workers’ Day – a global celebration of workers’ rights – the Institute of Employment Rights (IER) has warned that the Employment Rights Bill risks falling short of its promises and failing to meet the UK’s international commitments on workers’ rights.

Currently making its way through Parliament, the Bill has been hailed by ministers as a landmark moment for working people.

However, the IER – a think tank supported by academics, lawyers and trade unions – warned that, in its present form, it leaves workers vulnerable to the very practices it aims to prevent.

The IER’s analysis highlighted major shortcomings in the draft legislation.

It argued that the so-called ban on fire and rehire would still allow employers to dismiss and re-engage staff under vaguely defined ‘likely financial difficulties’, without any requirement for independent verification of those claims.

Similarly, proposed measures on zero-hours contracts leave loopholes that could allow insecure work to continue through bogus self-employment and short-term contracts.

The think tank warned that, without strong enforcement mechanisms and meaningful penalties, bad employers will treat any fines as a cost of doing business.

Labour economists and legal experts recently issued a public letter backing stronger employment protections, rejecting the business lobby claims that the Bill would harm economic growth.