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Sir Keir Starmer’s party campaigned on a pledge to protect workers from unfair dismissals from day one
Nicole Wootton-CaneThursday 27 November 2025 17:50 GMTComments
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The government has U-turned on its manifesto promise to introduce day one protections from unfair dismissal.
Sir Keir Starmer’s party campaigned last year on a pledge to introduce “basic rights” including parental leave, sick pay, and protection from unfair dismissal as part of the Employment Rights Bill.
But the government has now backtracked on the policy after concerns raised in the Lords about the impact it could have on small businesses saw it struggle to progress through parliament.
The party said the change had been made to get across a “workable” bill (Simon Dawson/No 10 Downing Street)In an update on Thursday, the government said the protections will now be in place from six months, adding it had made a “workable package” that would be more likely to get approved by MPs. currently, the qualifying period is 24 months.
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) said: “The government convened a series of constructive conversations between trade unions and business representatives.
“On the basis of the outcome of these discussions, the government will now move forward on the issue of unfair dismissal protections in the Employment Rights Bill to ensure it can reach royal assent and keep to the government’s published delivery timeline.”
It went on: “The discussions concluded that reducing the qualifying period for unfair dismissal from 24 months to six months (whilst maintaining existing day-one protection against discrimination and automatically unfair grounds for dismissal) is a workable package.”
The government insisted the amended package would “benefit millions of working people who will gain new rights and offer business and employers much-needed clarity”.
“To further strengthen these protections, the government has committed to ensure that the unfair dismissal qualifying period can only be varied by primary legislation and that the compensation cap will be lifted,” the DBT said.
Responding to the change, the Trades Union Congress backed the government, saying the "absolute priority" is to get benefits like day one sick pay onto the statute book.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: "The Employment Rights Bill is essential to better quality, more secure jobs for millions of workers across the economy.
“The absolute priority now is to get these rights – like day one sick pay - on the statute book so that working people can start benefitting from them from next April.
"Following the government’s announcement, it is now vital that Peers respect Labour’s manifesto mandate and that this Bill secures Royal Assent as quickly as possible."
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