Event Details

Roundtable at the Labour Party Conference 2025 that will discuss how the impact of the Employment Rights Bill can be maximised for those who face insecurity at work.

In the UK, one in five workers are in severely insecure work – facing a mix of low pay, unpredictable hours, poor protections, and limited career progression. Insecurity is more likely to affect certain worker groups including women, people from ethnic minorities, disabled workers, and young people.

The Government has set out a roadmap to deliver its landmark Employment Rights Bill, but a number of big choices remain that will ultimately determine just how many people currently in severe insecurity will benefit. In particular, the effectiveness of new day one rights and a ban on zero-hour contracts will in large part be determined by the secondary legislation and regulations that underpin them. And the establishment and resourcing of the Fair Work Agency to enforce new and existing rules will also be key.

This roundtable will bring together policymakers, academics and employers to discuss how the impact of the Employment Rights Bill can be maximised for those who face insecurity at work.

Key questions include:

• How can policymakers ensure the ambitions of the Employment Rights Bill are not diluted when changes are rolled out over the coming years?
• How can Government work with and equip employers to ensure they can comply with new regulations – especially in sectors like retail, hospitality and social care where insecure work is prevalent?
• How can Government ensure changes are implemented in a way that minimise the risk employers cut jobs or slow hiring in response, especially in areas of the UK where economic demand is weak?
• How can policymakers ensure reforms widen access to secure and flexible employment and help tackle wider structural inequality in the labour market?