The Employment Rights Bill was approved and finalised on 18 December 2025, after many rounds of parliamentary “ping pong”, becoming the Employment Rights Act (ERA) 2025. Its final form is substantively very similar to previous versions, with one important exception: the retention of a qualifying period for unfair dismissal rights (albeit reduced from two years to six months) and the removal of any cap on unfair dismissal compensation.
Although we now have a finalised ERA 2025, many key areas of detail are subject to consultations and further regulations. This article summarises the Act’s key provisions, the areas of outstanding detail, anticipated timelines (as set out in the government’s updated timeline on 4 February 2026), and what organisations could or should be doing now to prepare.

On 16 December 2025, the House of Lords resolved the final point of dispute in the Employment Rights Bill – whether the cap on unfair dismissal should be removed – paving the way for Royal Assent before Christmas.
The Bill introduces sweeping employment law reforms, including new provisions on strikes and trade unions, enhanced protective awards for collective redundancies, and restrictions on fire-and-rehire practices. It also reduces the qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims to six months from January 2027, although the timing for removing the compensation cap remains uncertain.
Implementation will be phased through 2026 and 2027, supported by over 20 consultations and secondary legislation following Royal Assent.