TO BE PUBLISHED December 2025
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This conference will focus on next steps following the expected passage of the Employment Rights Bill later this year - as attention turns to the implementation of its provisions, the development of secondary legislation, and key decisions on guidance, enforcement, and workplace implementation.
It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to consider implications of reforms in areas such as unfair dismissal rights, protections for zero-hours and agency workers, trade union recognition and industrial action rules, and new limits on dismissal and rehire. Delegates will assess the practical impact of proposed provisions on legal obligations, workforce planning, contract structures and workplace standards - as well as the consistency of application across sectors, including when employment is indirect or responsibilities are shared. Strategic considerations and best practice will also be discussed, looking towards implementation that can effectively support policy objectives of improving job quality, fairness, and access to employment across the workforce.
Planned sessions will examine the anticipated impact on employers, including obligations around pay and leave, new administrative requirements, and changes to dismissal processes, as well as how organisations might respond in areas such as recruitment, flexibility and workforce management - particularly for organisations with limited HR capacity. Sessions will also assess how implementation might be managed to support workforce retention, support inclusive hiring, and deliver wider productivity and wellbeing benefits. The role of the Fair Work Agency in supporting compliance and enforcement will be considered, including priorities for guidance, resourcing, and coordination with the wider labour market strategy.
Further discussion is expected on industrial relations reforms, including notice periods, e-balloting, and mandates, looking at how these may affect workplace negotiations, consultation processes and dispute conduct. Delegates will also assess proposals under consultation, such as regulation of umbrella companies and responsibilities of end hirers and agencies, as well as broader questions of entitlement access, consistency of early implementation across sectors, and the transparency and enforceability of reforms as they apply to more complex or non-standard forms of employment.
With the agenda currently in the drafting stage, overall areas for discussion include:
- policy: key measures and amendments in the Employment Rights Bill - consultation and secondary legislation - guidance, enforcement frameworks, and supporting employers in implementation
- unfair dismissal and zero-hours: qualifying periods - expanded protections for agency workers and guaranteed hours - legal risk for employers - tribunal capacity - compliance and accountability
- trade union reforms: longer mandates, revised notice periods, and e-balloting - streamlined recognition processes - implications for the frequency, conduct, and resolution of industrial disputes
- dismissal and rehire: restrictions on use of dismissal-and-rehire practices - legal and procedural thresholds - changes in how disputes and consultations unfold
- redundancy and shift notice: definitions for notice and compensation - thresholds and protective awards for consultations - implications for business planning and operational certainty
- organisational impact: legal exposure - administrative and compliance pressure - differing effects on large employers and SMEs - workforce and recruitment considerations
- Fair Work Agency: specific responsibilities - implementation planning - interaction with employers and regulators
- enforcement and inspection: potential changes in oversight models - consistency across sectors - pressure on staffing and delivery during rollout
- umbrella companies and non-standard work: regulation and accountability - responsibilities of hirers and intermediaries - enforcement challenges in complex employment chains
- labour market fairness and inclusion: access to entitlements and job quality - risk of uneven outcomes in early implementation
