This month we include a short update on the Employment Rights Bill, which is still going through the Parliamentary process. The Bill is expected to be given Royal Assent and become the Employment Rights Act in the autumn. We also report on a new piece of legislation which has implications for UK data protection law.
The Bill is currently at the Report Stage, which began on 14 July 2025. Once this stage concludes, the Third Reading will then take place, before the Bill goes back to the House of Commons for MPs to consider the amendments made in the House of Lords.
The Government published a roadmap on 1 July 2025, which sets out timelines for the measures in the Bill to come into effect (starting when the Bill is passed and stretching into 2027) and listing further consultations that will take place. The main points to note are that the day one right to claim unfair dismissal and the zero hours contracts provisions are not due to come into force until 2027.
The Government has also announced further provisions that will be added to the Bill. They include a new right to bereavement leave for parents who lose a pregnancy before 24 weeks and a ban on NDAs that cover allegations or disclosures about harassment or discrimination.
Please see our Employment Rights Bill timeline for up-to-date information on the progress of the Bill.
This Act received Royal Assent on 19 June 2025. It will make changes to the UK’s data protection framework under the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003, including in relation to data subject access requests and introducing a new lawful basis for processing. Please contact Sheilah Mackie if you have any questions.