The UK government is in the process of creating a new Employment Rights Bill. The Bill was part of the Labour party’s election manifesto, but how could it impact you? While the Bill is still in consultation and may change, there are aspects of it which may impact university students, especially if you work part-time alongside your studies.
One major aspect of the Bill is set to be restrictions to zero-hours contracts (also known as casual contracts). These contracts are often popular amongst university students because of the flexibility they afford, with no guaranteed hours. However, they can also be unpredictable and insecure. Anyone who is currently on a zero-hours contract would be offered guaranteed hours based on how much they usually work. However, if employees would prefer to remain on a zero-hours contract, they could choose to do so. For university students, this means that if you have a zero-hours contract, you would be able to choose guaranteed hours for more stability and predictability or remain on a zero-hours contract to keep its flexibility. Remaining on a zero-hours contract is also hoped to become more predictable, because employers will have to give ‘reasonable’ notice of any changes to shifts.
The Bill also proposes changes to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). Under current legislation, employees can only access SSP if they have more than three days off work in a row for illness and earn at least £123 a week. The new Employment Rights Bill is set to change this, so that there is no waiting period or lower earnings limit. This means that every employee could be paid SSP for up to 28 weeks, no matter how much they earn. Because university students often work part-time and low-paid jobs, this could have a substantial impact and would mean that students who work alongside their studies would have the right to SSP, no matter what they earn.
Another aspect of the Bill which could impact university students is the proposed ban on fire and rehire practices. This refers to the practice by which employers fire employees to rehire them on worse terms and conditions. Under the new Bill, these practices would be banned. This would give employees protection against unfair changes to their contact, giving university students more stable work conditions.
Furthermore, the Bill would also introduce the right to claim unfair dismissal from the first day of employment. Employees can only currently claim unfair dismissal after two years with an employer. The new Bill would introduce a nine-month probationary period under which employees can be dismissed without full procedures but can still claim unfair dismissal from their first day of employment. Many university students do not stay in one job for two years, meaning they would not have the right to claim unfair dismissal under current legislation. This change would grant university students more security in their jobs, ensuring that they would have the right to claim against unfair dismissal.
The new Employment Rights Bill poses a major impact to university students. With the rising cost of living, most university students work part-time alongside their studies, often in zero-hours or low-paid positions. While the Bill also proposes other changes, such as changes to parental and bereavement leave, there are several aspects of it which could be of significance to university students.
If you would like to see some extra and original sources, please find them here:
Department for Business and Trade (2024a). Employment Rights Bill: European Convention on Human Rights Memorandum. [online] Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6707a58a366f494ab2e7b650/employment-rights-bill.pdf.
Department for Business and Trade (2024b). Next Steps to Make Work Pay. [online] GOV.UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/next-steps-to-make-work-pay/next-steps-to-make-work-pay-web-accessible-version.
Prime Minister’s Office (2024). What does the Employment Rights Bill mean for you? [online] GOV.UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/what-does-the-employment-rights-bill-mean-for-you.