The bill was introduced in parliament by the Labour government on 10 October 2024. It aims to enhance employment protections and transform workplace environments.

What does the bill say?

There are radical changes to employment law in the bill. These include:

• Improvements to unfair dismissal pay
• Improvements to statutory sick pay
• Expanding SSP
• Day-one rights for paternity, parental and bereavement leave
• Flexible working being made the default position where practical
• Large employers being required to make action plans to address gender pay gaps and to support employees through the menopause
• Strengthening protections against dismissal for pregnant women and new mothers
• Increasing rights for workers on zero-hours contracts
• Closing “fire and re-hire" loopholes

Find out more about these proposals and what they mean for you in our Employment Rights Bill explainer.

How have we responded?

Although we welcome the improvements this bill would bring, we believe it needs to go further. We’ve been meeting with MPs, government officials and other key stakeholders to try to strengthen this legislation and ensure it benefits nursing staff.

Our influencing work has been centred around three key areas of focus:

• A fair pay agreement in social care
• Restoration of trade union rights
• Improved women’s rights in the workplace

What success have we had so far?

One of the key improvements we’ve been calling for is stronger protections for pregnant workers. This is crucial for ensuring fair conditions in a female-dominated workforce such as nursing.

On Wednesday 5 March, the government published a list of amendments to the bill. This includes many of the changes we’ve been campaigning for, such as stricter employer obligations around redundancy protections for pregnant workers and regulations preventing dismissal during and after pregnancy.

This is a major win for nursing, showing the real difference we can make when we influence for change. 

Are you affected by these issues?

Two of the key amendments we’re calling for are an increase to sick pay and stronger workplace protections during and after pregnancy. If you’re experiencing problems in either of these areas, you can access support and guidance via the RCN advice centre.