Last October, the government published the Employment Rights Bill, a slate of reforms set to change workers' rights in the UK - from banning “fire and rehire” tactics, to ending exploitative zero-hours contracts, to giving workers employment protection from day one.
The bill has passed through the Commons and is currently on its third reading in the House of Lords - the first changes are expected to be enacted in 2026.
But what does this bill really mean for workers, businesses, and the economy? And could there be unintended consequences that even its biggest supporters are worried about?
Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Mike Clancy, general secretary of Prospect, one of the UK’s leading trade unions representing over 150,000 professionals across science, engineering, and technology.